1) Best estimate for attendance was around 350. Thanks to everyone who spread the word and sold tickets! Let's see if we can bump that up to 400 for Verdi's Requiem in the fall ;-)
2) Some comments from audience members:
"The concert last night was absolutely amazing. We were transported to the sea, to the heavens, and to eternity. It was a stupendous performance and kudos for pulling it off."
"What a fantastic performance! The music and voices together were breathtaking."
"We absolutely loved the concert. It was so beautiful and it was Carnegie Hall!
Thank you so much for letting us know so that we were able to hear this beautiful music!"
"The feedback I’ve heard so far was all verbal but along the same lines [as above]. However one person was so transported away during the ending that she ‘heard’ the Agnus Dei in the overtones. She is a pretty good singer and musician. Many of the comments referred to the complexity and intricacies of the piece and how well we illuminated them. I think all chorus members should go back and listen to an uninterrupted recording so they can appreciate this without thinking about specific notes !! This work is very dense and they should appreciate what they accomplished."
"From a fair number of audience members sitting in different sections I heard that the piece itself, the chorus, and the soloists were all wonderful [although there were some spots where they would have liked the orchestra to be quieter]."
"Last night's concert was incredible. When we first sang this work in 2014, many of us were astonished by the demands it placed on us as singers. Last night, you were those thrilling singers -- and you rose to the challenge magnificently. The CCO was superb, and the soloists were outstanding as well. I don't clearly remember what I experienced in the final moments when I performed it years ago, but last night, the gentle fading into silence was absolutely breathtaking. Thank you, Gerald, and all of you remarkable singers, for the extraordinary gift you gave to those of us in the audience."
"EXUBERANT from start to finish!!"
"Magnificently done! So glad to have made the trip!"
