Secretary of this year’s Music Society, cellist and soprano Aisha Bové was away from the University recently; it turns out she was involved in a very royal occasion indeed…

Some of you might not have heard the news, but one of Europe’s monarchs got married on the 20th of October, reuniting all the important kings and queens from around the world in one place. Prince Guillaume from Luxembourg, heir to the throne, married Countess Stephanie de Lannoy in a sumptuous celebration at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Luxembourg. I myself was there in person, as a member of the cathedral choir, singing in the mass which was broadcasted live on Luxembourgish and German national TV.

The royal couple is known to be very down to earth and approachable, and they played a major role in the process of choosing the musical program. The main piece was Mozart’s Missa in C. Additional pieces were Mendelssohn’s Psalm 42, which was sung in German, small liturgical pieces, in French and Luxembourgish. The mass was finished off by Handel’s well known Hallelujah, to give the couple a joyful ending to their ceremony. The choir was accompanied by organ and the Luxembourg Chamber Orchestra.

You can watch the whole ceremony online or on Youtube, and be amazed by the glamorous appearance of it all. I thoroughly enjoyed being part of it, even though it meant that I had to stand still from 9am – 1pm, and could not find a way out of the city for another two hours afterwards. It was a lifetime opportunity and sure was a unique experience, to see the people you normally know out of the magazines sat a stone’s throw away, listening to your music.

Aisha Bové