On Sunday 18 July 1999, the Vasari Singers not only made their debut at the BBC Promenade Concerts, but also sang in the Royal Albert Hall for the first time. They featured in one of the highlights of the season, the Millennium celebration: “1000 years of music in a day”, an extremely prestigious event that boasted a number of world-class performers throughout the afternoon and evening. The Vasari Singers were joined on the platform by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis for a performance of the Prelude to “Genesis” by Schoenberg, a work for large orchestra and wordless choir. This was followed by a performance of Holst’s The Planets, for which the Vasari Singers provided the magical off-stage ladies’ chorus in the closing minutes of the work.
The performances were, of course, broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and later the Holst was shown on BBC 2. Of the performances, Fiona Maddocks wrote in The Observer: “The ever-reliable BBCSO and Andrew Davis launched the day with The Planets, expertly played and with at least one truly cosmic moment provided by the Vasari Singers."
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