Later on Friday Pope Benedict XVI will attend a concert in the Paul VI Hall in honour
of his 85th Birthday. The concert is being given by the Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig
under the direction of Italian conductor Riccardo Chailly.
The Holy Father
will be treated to a rendition of Mendelssohn’s second symphony.
Lydia O’Kane
went along to watch the orchestra rehearse and spoke its Managing Director, Andreas
Schulz.
“It was let’s say an unbelievable invitation. I remember the invitation
what I got in October 2010, I was so surprised, so deeply honoured”…
Mr Schulz
goes on to say that the composer Felix Mendelssohn was the perfect choice for this
musical evening.
“…it is a wonderful piece and let’s say the right piece for
this special event.”
Both Mendelssohn and Bach are composers that are synonymous
with the musical history of the city of Leipzig.
Mendelssohn himself was Music
Director of the Gewandhaus Orchestra which is one of the oldest symphony orchestras
in the world. Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview with Andreas Schulz