Kære "Kor".......from Philip

On 8th September as the curtain fell on the first evening of Hoffmann's Eventyr, so too the curtain fell on a whole era in the life of Det Kongelige Operakor. For after 18 years, as the red velvet brushed the slightly dampened stage floor (the last act of the piece is set in Venice!), so it marked the official departure of my colleague, Kaare Hansen, as chorus master.

17 years ...... phew!

17 years, during the majority of which Kaare was the sole director of the group of 60 singers the chorus comprises,

17 years, which saw the steady rise in the quality of the chorus' work,

17 years, during which Kaare managed to preserve his quiet unflappability, always with underlying gentle good humour for which he was famed, doggedley pursuing his goals of perfection with his eye and ear for detail, and always fronted by a great human warmth, which one could witness, not only in his work with the chorus, but with any of his colleagues in the different departments of the Opera.

[*Click for more photos by Michael Bennati Schou ]

When I auditioned for the post of 2nd chorus master nearly 5 years ago, I was in no doubt afterwards, that I wanted to work with this group of people. We had worked for only about 30 minutes and yet it had felt good, productive. But I was keenly aware that I was, in fact, applying for a job-share and, whilst I was optimistic about working with the chorus itself, I was slightly hesitant about how things would go with the "other chorus master". I need not have worried.

A more generous colleague I could not have had the good fortune to work with. After all, Kaare had already been here for nigh on 13 years: when he took over the chorus I was still reluctantly putting student days, ways and thoughts behind me - and now we were to share the same job, as equal partners. Yet I was forgetting that if I had enjoyed my audition with the chorus, if they had responded so quickly and if they had been in such good form, then there must be somebody decent behind it all - and that could only be Kaare.

There was a lot to learn (least of all Danish); the season was already a decent size and now within three months of my arrival we were all to move over to Holmen and everything would get bigger with quite different working conditions. But having seen the move through, the chorus safely installed and what must be over a 100 different productions behind him, Kaare decided to call it a day. And so next week I will be in his position 4 years ago, welcoming my new colleage on board ship.

It can only be my ambition that when I eventually hoist anchor and sail to different shores, that my successor will find the chorus in as fine fettle as I did.

I also hope my new colleague will be able to pronounce my name properly. I don't think my anglo-saxon tongue ever got that right.

Philip White

[*Click for more photos by Michael Bennati Schou ]