Paul McCartney’s Ecce Cor Meum
London Royal Albert Hall
3rd November, 2006

View: stage-right front tier stalls

The world’s media gathered outside the venerable dome to capture the arrival of Macca on the night of the world premiere of his latest orchestral work. But he slipped almost unnoticed into the centre of the auditorium to watch, along with the mainly 50s+ audience, just under two hours of his music interpreted by a 40- (later 64-) piece orchestra, 100-strong choir, Belcea Quartet and two soloists. From the off at 7.40, soprano Kate Royal dominated from the apron as sweeping strings propped her, thankfully English-language, renderings of Paul’s sentiments of Behold My Heart, focusing on his lost love, Linda. Divided into three movements, the 50-minute first half had tender moments of reflection and melancholia, counter-pointed with some jaunty violins and lusty duetting with tenor Andrew Staples. A couple of times, Beatles-like melodies surfaced from the easy mood music and some lyrical snippets were more akin to vintage pop than opera, before the orchestra took over prior to a low-key ending. The second half opened with another 24 players and 100 singers, including the London Voices and schoolboy choirs, providing a quasi-monastic tone over martial kettle drums and Latin intonations, the chorale and bright strings declaring a State Of Grace. Harp, an a capella crescendo and Beatley brass followed, before the Hall’s cathedralic organ built on the orchestra’s climactic finale, ending at 10. Macca took to the stage amid a confetti-burst to thank one and all, happy that his vision had been fulfilled.

Reviewed by Tim Jones
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