Sir, – Prof Ron Hill (May 26th) refers to a concert which was given during Dmitri Shostakovich's visit to Dublin in 1972.
This concert took place on Wednesday, July 5th, in St Patrick's Cathedral and was presented by the New Irish Chamber Orchestra, of which I was then manager, and conducted by Andre Prieur. Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony in C minor was the final work on the programme. The rest of the programme comprised Vivaldi's Four Seasons (soloist Mary Gallagher) and Britten's Serenade for tenor, horn and strings (soloists Frank Patterson and Victor Malirsh).
None of us knew if Shostakovitch was actually going to attend and when when he did come through the side door of the cathedral just before 8pm, it was a moment of unbelievable joy.
As I guided him to his seat – he was virtually blind – the audience rose to its feet and erupted into prolonged thunderous applause, to which he responded in Russian manner, by applauding back. The audience's appreciation was even more sustained after the deeply moving performance of his Chamber Symphony. Undoubtedly this was one of Dublin's truly great musical occasions. – Yours, etc,
LINDSAY ARMSTRONG,
Ranelagh,
Dublin 6.