QM2's UK/USA/CANADA voyage. Great for music lovers!

[Slow Foxtrot]

Whatever minor criticisms there may be of Cunard's modus operandi there's no doubt that music lovers must have been delighted with the entertainment on QM2's recent 27 nights voyage from UK to Canada.

Although these were missed by passengers who joined in New York there were two superb concerts of popular music given by the National Symphony Orchestra under their conductor, the charismatic Anthony Inglis. The first of these covered some great American music and the second, especially for the British, covered the Last Night of the Proms. The latter was probably the best musical concert I have seen at sea in the past 25 years. Even the Captain and the (just retired) ex-Governor of the Bank of England were eager participants.

 

Still on music but in a slightly different vein were the lectures given by popular music-historian Roy Hunt. Again, these were only featured on both the crossings so passengers on the New York to Canada sector missed these too. There's not much that Roy Hunt doesn't know about the great musical artists of yesteryear and the enthusiastic audiences in the Planetarium Theatre were treated to absorbing talks on the lives of such people as Irving Berlin, Al Jolson, Frank Sinatra and their contempories.

The fact that Roy Hunt accompanied some of the songs on his ukelele added an element of fun to his first-class presentations.

 

On the America/Canada sector there were still some great shows in the Royal Court Theatre, especially from flautist Clare Langan and the brilliant violinist Gary Lovini who is claimed to be the first violinist to successfully bridge the gap between classical and popular violin.

 

All in all, Cunard provided musical entertainment to suit most tastes so if they provide something similar on an almost identical itinerary later this month then the passengers have much to look forward to.

 

Foxy