244/365 Open Air Concert

On Sunday, Daniel Barenboim conducting his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra playing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at Cologne Philharmonic was broadcast live on the Cathedral Place.

There was a triple reason for this:

- the Cologne Philharmonic Hall celebrates its 25th anniversary this month

- Barenboim's orchestra had been here all week, playing all nine Beethoven's symphonies, so this was the big finale

- the orchestra was founded to unite musicians from Israel and the Arab countries in the hope to promote cultural dialogue, so their performances are always also a statement for peace. And of course hardly ever more so than when they perform a piece that's dedicated to the brotherhood of all. :)

All very good reasons to share the experience freely and widely - a brilliant idea, I thought. :)

The place was well filled (and the audience more attentive than we had expected).

The concert was fantastic, and the screen and sound quality were great, too. And even the weather co-operated and it stayed dry for the duration of the concert. :D

I felt not only filled with the beauty of the music but also cheered and uplifted with the ideas behind the concert. :D