vittorio

[postscript]

gareth said:

I have just added a simply hilarious interview conducted on Dutch radio on May 15. The interviewer doesn't speak Italian, and Vittorio virtually no Dutch - so they communicate in English.

I think Vittorio gets the better of his interviewer on occasions - and interestingly, one part of the interview is about why he did not accept an invitation to join ... Il Divo!

I have also corrected the error of linking to the Classical Brits video twice on the page!

Gerrit

Oh go on Gerrit! Please! Don't make me listen to the whole thing! Why didn't he join Il Divo, please?
Peter

[gareth]

Hi all,

It's just a few days ago I decided to start a page for Vittorio, and I apparently did so while Vittorio spent quite a bit of time in Holland. Tonight, Vittorio was a live performer in a very remarkable Dutch TV prorgramme. The file is 8:33 and 37.9 MB.

Please do take the time to read the rest of this message while you are downloading the video, because the circumstances are quite unique.

www.classicalrelatedperformances.eu/vittorio/missholland2006.wmv

I dare say this is an event with a difference. Tonight's show was the final of a two year process to elect Miss Holland 2006 ... but then Miss Holland for handicapped young ladies. It started of with 150 contestants and tonight there were just 12 left.

Eventually it boiled down to 4 ladies - and then the phone lines were opened for the Dutch public to select the winner. It was during that time that Vittorio performed live.

The ladies were judged by the same criteria as in normal Miss .... elections: how they conduct themselves in private life, their demeanour in a glamorous dress and even in a bathing suit, their mission in life and how they stand up to having their mission interrogated - and finally their ability to pesent themselves in public speech in which they could once again highlight their mission. The theme of their missions was very much to assist in breaking down the barriers between able-bodied and handicapped people.

Many of the contestants had a limb missing, or where for other reasons confined to wheelchair. The eventual winner, Roos, has to spend most of her time in a lying position. When her body is upright, her neck muscles slowly start to contract - and contract - and keep on contracting, tilting her head backwards, and when her head can't be tilted further, her back starts to arch inwards, and eventually she will be unable to breathe ... That's why she has to spend most of her time lying down. Inbetween, for very short periods, she can present herself as an able-bodied person. This condition started to affect her a few years ago, so she knows both the life of the able-bodied person and that of the handicapped.

Quite possibly, because of her specific condition, she gained a sympathy vote - but I thought she easily made the best concluding speech of the last 4 candidates - and she got 52% of the public vote, with the 3 others gaining 48% between them.

I have included coverage of the announcement of the winner, because it was a deeply moving experience, and Roos was presented with her crown by the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mr. Balkenende. (Yes, this was a really big television event here in The Netherlands.)

And .... as this is a Vittorio video, please keep watching for the encore ...

To my knowledge, there hasn't been any such competition anywhere in the world. Hopefully other countries will follow suit - and maybe there will be a Miss Universe competition along similar standards in due time ...

Gerrit

[drew]

Due to illness in my family I have 2 spare tickets to:

BBC Proms in the Park - London Hyde Park Edition.

www.bbc.co.uk/proms/pitp/hyde.shtml

Saturday 9th September 2006: Hyde Park

Gates open at 4pm
Entertainment on stage from 5.30pm (approx. end 10.30pm)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sir Terry Wogan presenter
Ken Bruce presenter

Angela Gheorghiu soprano
Lionel Richie
Vittorio Grigolo
Alison Balsom trumpet
Roberto Alagna

Royal Choral Society
BBC Concert Orchestra
Carl Davis conductor

Early Evening Entertainment:
Chico
Chas & Dave
One Step Behind

BBC Proms in the Park will once again be hosted by the inimitable Sir Terry Wogan, and the early evening entertainment by Ken Bruce. Carl Davis and the BBC Concert Orchestra a star-studded line-up of international artists: top selling soprano Angela Gheorghiu, music legend Lionel Richie, Italian sensation Vittorio Grigolo and British trumpeter Alison Balsom.

This year the Royal Choral Society will lead the singing as the event links up live with the festivities of Last night of the Proms in the Royal Albert Hall.

Celebrations begin in the late afternoon when Radio 2's Ken Bruce presents entertainment including X Factor finalist Chico, pub-rock legends Chas & Dave and madness tribute band One Step Behind.


Booking Tickets

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prices: £23.00 (under-3s free)

If anyone would like one or two tickets please send me a PM.
I can post this afternoon. No charge but £23 is a lot more than $40 NZD needed for each bike in Ghana. Let your conscience decide after the concert.

www.unicef.org.nz/projects/bikes-for-ghana.html

You never know. Hayley might just be back in time for a duet with Vittorio.

We shall be there anyway - look out for a table with candles and Hayley Westenra roses.


This was Blickling before Hayley came on stage (and before we had discovered Hayley's Rose).
The Il Divas use red roses but I managed to save one each for Hayley and Fiona.

[postscript]

Very sorry to hear about illness in your family, Drew, which sounds not a light matter but I trust all is positive on the longer term recovery front.

Peter S.

[drew]

A late report from Hyde Park.

I would thoroughly agree with Sir Terry Wogan's comment that this year's Proms in the Park was the best ever. I am sure that he says this every year but the sunshine which Hayley brought us back from New Zealand made this a very pleasant experience. Perhaps the inclusion of a disposable plastic poncho in the sponsor's goody bag acted as weather insurance for the BBC. The gentle evening breeze did however play havoc with the candelabra, the BBC will have to provide me with a safer solution next year.

I shall comment only on Vittorio's performance as this is his thread.

Vittorio gave us:

Bedshaped
Il Mio Miracolo (a bonus - not expected from the program)
Maria (from West Side Story)

Whilst Vittorio has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, the 40,000 faces and flags at Hyde Park seemed to overwhelm him with emotion but he gave a passionate performance and will have gained many new fans from the audience of mixed musical tastes. If your name was Maria you would certainly have been moved.

I hope that we shall see a lot more of him in the United Kingdom. He needs to be seen rather than just heard, so that you can see the passion and effort that goes into every line of his songs.

An interesting fact from the program: "He was the first Italian male to be excused from compulsory military service, because of his promising career."