À la joie/To Joy/An die Freude

Update (10/5) - the Europe Day concert preview had to be temporarily removed yesterday, but here it is again, with a footnote to the effect that the quality of last night's playing, singing and the music itself - including the stunning new work by Matt Kaner - went deeper and higher than I could possibly have imagined. Everyone I spoke to was profoundly moved, and absolutely everything worked. More on that anon. Now, back to the original post.

For me, the moment when a tear came to the eye: Macron took to the podium to the strains of the European anthem, Beethoven's setting of Schiller's Ode to Joy in his Ninth Symphony. Tomorrow at the Europe Day concert in St John's Smith Square, we'll be standing for it with a special emotion. Happy to repeat this rather unusual arrangement by Andrew Manze when Rachel Podger led the European Union Baroque Orchestra - leaving its UK base thanks to Brexit - at last year's concert.

And I think the programme will please: on a theme of islands, since Malta holds the presidency at the moment. As well as a movement from the Malta Suite of Charles Camilleri, we'll be hearing island music from Mendelssohn (Overture The Hebrides), Mozart (two arias from Idomeneo), Nielsen (two songs from Springtime on Funen), Sibelius (five pieces from his incidental music to The Tempest), Bizet (the Act 2 Love Duet from The Pearl Fishers), Martinů (the final monologue from Ariane), Respighi ('The Birth of Venus' from the Trittico Botticelliano) and a new piece by composer Matt Kaner for violin and orchestra, Stranded. A truly European menu.

There are four splendid soloists - soprano Jennifer Davis and tenor Thomas Atkins from the Royal Opera's Jette Parker Young Artists Programme, Maltese soprano Nicola Said to reprise the Callas-alike Ariane she sang at the Guildhall last year (pictured above with Josep-Ramon Olivé as Thesée by Clive Barda) and the supremely cultured violinist Benjamin Baker. Jonathan Bloxham, currently assistant to Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla at the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, conducts his Northern Chords Festival Orchestra. What can I add except to say that I'm very excited at the prospect. And in the meanwhile, it's Springtime for France (and thankfully not for Hitler, though Madame will still be causing trouble in the years to come). How better to mark it than with the beautiful paulownia tree outside La Cité metro a couple of weeks back?

Meanwhile the stranded monsters gaping lie, but still capable of great harm. Their provenance is wittily suggested by this juxtaposition - by whom, I know not, but it attracted quite a bit of attention when I put it up on LinkedIn. Well done, whoever.

To Hope/An die Hoffnung/À l'Espérance

Always makes me a bit tear-y when everyone stands for the European Anthem, aka Beethoven's Ode to Joy, at the end of each Europe Day Concert, and all the more so watching this version with a difference. Stick with it beyond the first statement.

For 2016's event at St John's Smith Square we had the European Union Baroque Orchestra led by Rachel Podger and singers from the European Opera Centre in Liverpool (more usually partnered by the European Union Youth Orchestra. I'm sorry that the EUYO's admin couldn't trumpet the long-postponed result that the EU itself decided to save them as loudly as they proclaimed the initial disgrace).

La Podger is such a born communicator as well as a great stylist, and though for me a little Baroque goes a long way there were treasures here, especially when she played solo or in duet.

It's not usual that the obligatory anthem finale is the highlight, but thanks to Andrew Manze's Rameauification of Beethoven, this one was.

Who knows if there will be another such event next year? There's still much to hope for, which is why I'd change the title of Schiller's An die Freude to An die Hoffnung. The classical music world is weighing in - finally (not enough solidarity during the campaign). Jasper Parrott wrote an eloquent letter; in this Guardian article the Guildhall School imagines what its orchestra would look like without its full European quota.

Now let's have a series of parliamentary votes - including one to get rid of Corbyn, in whom I'd placed some trust but whose heart clearly wasn't with Remain - and an early general election. There's no way at least half this divided country is going to accept the self-perjuring Boris Johnson as Prime Minister. Theresa May is no alternative - let's remember this nasty piece of work wants us to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights, for which she has been rightly excoriated again by the only strong leadership voice in the entire country (as it currently stands), Nicola Sturgeon  - and God save us from that other grinning goon Jeremy Hunt. Wasn't too sure about the wisdom of a second referendum - there may be more violence on the streets - but have just been reminded that Ireland and Denmark 'did it again'.

In the meantime, I am beyond disgust with the pondlife - sorry, dear frogs and freshwater creatures - once known as Nigel Farage. Complained to The Guardian for their putting up his speech in full and not those of the honourable Germans and Scot this morning; they took my point and replied - very swiftly, it has to be said - that they had limited space. I believe strongly that alongside due process this petition to prosecute an unelected monster for his horrific neo-Nazi poster should be signed.