Singing Prague
The Church of the Holy Savior is tucked into the side streets a block from the Old Town Square.
The simple entrance at 10 in the morning. The yellow sign translates "Kostel sv. Salvátora" (here) as "St. Salvator Church", so "Church of the Holy Savior" is not the only possible translation. I don't k now which is closest to the way the churchgoers think about the name.
Evangelical Czech Brethren Temple of the Savior, built 1611-14. The Evangelical Church Czech Brethren was created in 1918 by a union of the Czech Lutheran and Reformed (Calvinist) confessions. The name is nod to the Czech Reformation: the Unity of Brethren were the first to translate the Bible into Czech.
The building was not open, but I could peer in the glass doors. After the Catholic churches the Chorus has sung in, this Protestant church is notable for its simplicity.
It's not quite 2:30. Here comes the chorus, about two blocks from the church. (The bus had to drop them off a few blocks away.)
A few more interior views before we get started (taken at various times in the day). While spare, the church is not without some ornamentation.
The ceiling paintings are undergoing restoration. the work is partially done.
The organ is above the door in back.
A lower-down view of the back.
A closer look at the front of the church. This was taken at the end of the rehearsal, after the orchestral left, while Lynne was working with the Chorus alone.
Some views of the orchestra during rehearsal. The first violin ...
... brass ...
... and tympani.
Our soloists. Soprano Michaela Srumova.
Alto Lucie Hilscherová.
Bass Tomáš Bartůněk and tenor Josef Moravec.
The end of the Benedictus (with the Hosanna) from the Requiem. Ahead in this gallery is a clip of the same music from the concert. I'm clearly not standing in an optimal spot for sound recording, but, in general, this church was less clean-sounding than others on this trip. (1:25 video -- click to play.)
More closeups ... left ...
... and right.
