Edinburgh International Festival review: Edinburgh Festival Chorus - Carmina Burana

By Ken Walton
Published 10th Aug 2020, 12:07 BST
Updated 10th Aug 2020, 12:26 BST
The Edinburgh Festival Chorus: "crisp and cutely-choreographed"The Edinburgh Festival Chorus: "crisp and cutely-choreographed"
The Edinburgh Festival Chorus: "crisp and cutely-choreographed"
It may be a while before we see the massed ranks of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus in a live setting again, but their video contribution to this year’s Edinburgh International Festival is still a crisp and cutely-choreographed take on Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana

Edinburgh Festival Chorus: Carmina Burana - O Fortuna & Ecce Gratum ****

On Saturday night the 2020 Edinburgh International Festival’s online rescue plan became a reality as a barrage of socially distanced performances went live on its You Tube channel. Among the most heartwarming is the 120-strong Edinburgh Festival Chorus performing two movements from Carl Orff’s earthy cantata Carmina Burana, supported by the composer’s own chamber orchestration. Think of the frustration they must have felt in March, fearing initially that an entire year’s work was set to fall victim to the curse of Covid-19.

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