THE Lord Mayor proved himself a dab hand at the keys of St Paul’s grand organ – wowing guests while performing with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO).
And the setting couldn’t have been more illustrious for Dr Andrew Parmley, who masterfully gave a rendition of the Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony with the backing of the gifted musical group.
On a busy night the Lord Mayor was escorted to the organ console from the cathedral’s Great West Door by the Company of Pikemen and Musketeers before taking instruction from conductor by Fabio Luisi.
The concert was held in aid of the Lord Mayor’s Appeal, donations to which can be made online throughout the year via thelordmayorsappeal.org. The funds raised, which are still being tallied, will help support a number of schemes across the Square Mile, namely the LSO Discovery programme, St Paul’s Music Outreach project, and Music in Hospitals, enabling them all to continue their valuable community work into the future.
Speaking about the musical theme of this year’s appeal, Dr Parmley said: “As a teacher and a musician, arts and education have played an extremely important role in my life. I want them to make a difference to all our lives by opening our minds and stirring our hearts.
“I want the arts and education to inspire our children, help us to understand our past, and show us how we can shape our future.”
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