Concerto: One Night in Central Park will air on PBS December 2

Concerto: One Night in Central Park, the television program featuring the Westminster Symphonic Choir’s September concert with Andrea Bocelli and the New York Philharmonic is scheduled to air nationally as part of the PBS “Great Performances” series Friday, December 2.  A DVD of the program, which includes extra “behind the scenes” segments, is now available for purchase through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

The star-studded concert also featured Bryn Terfel, Celine Dion, Tony Bennett, Chris Botti… and more.  They performed an exciting program that ranged from familiar opera arias and choruses to popular songs.  There was even some humor as Bryn Terfel concluded singing an arrangement of Home on the Range with a flourish opening his jacket to reveal a flag from his homeland – Wales.

Preparing for the concert made the beginning of the academic year very hectic for the choir members.  They began rehearsals shortly after school started, and they made several trips to New York for rehearsals with the orchestra and Bocelli.  But it was worth it.  They met the other artists backstage and performed for more than 60,000 people who braved the chilly weather and the rain – including some high-profile celebrities that included Alec Baldwin, Donald Trump and Sting.

Comments about the performance were all over Twitter and Facebook.  One Westminster student posted, “Andrea Bocelli, Bryn Terfel, Celine Dion, Tony Bennett, the New York Philharmonic, 50,000 audience members in Central Park – and the Westminster Symphonic Choir.  They call this grad school?  Is this real life?”

You can read more comments and view photos from the rehearsal and concert on the Westminster Choir College Facebook page.

For more information about the broadcast of “Concerto – A Night in Central Park” in your area, check your local PBS listings.