Normally, when a large crowd of Pittsburghers are waving items, they’re waving Terrible Towels and cheering on the Steelers. On Saturday night, however, the full house at East Liberty Presbyterian Church was waving Union Jacks and singing “Rule Britannia!” during the Mendelssohn Choir‘s first performance of the 2016-2017 season, “The Music of Downton Abbey.”
Music Director Matthew Mehaffey made his Mendelssohn debut in splendid form as he led the choir through a host of British choral favorites, each related to a particular moment in history and a specific event in the popular television show Downton Abbey. As Elizabeth Bloom of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted, “…Mr. Mehaffey and the choir already exhibited a strong musical rapport.”
With patrons in their best Downton Abbey costumes, and a packed house at East Liberty, Matthew’s debut with the choir was a resounding success, and a fantastic way to start the performance season!