London Orpheus Philharmonic Orchestra At 8:50am on the 7th of July 2005 London was rocked by four suicide bombs that were detonated within a minute of each other during the morning rush hour. Fifty-six people were killed, including the four bombers, and over 700 injured. LOPO's concert commemorated the act that shook the whole country, some would say the world.
As expected, t he concert attracted a lot of publiity - the rehearsal the night before was filmed by Sky TV News and the footage played during their coverage on the 7th.
The concert was hailed a great success and brought together people of all nationalities, backgrounds, beliefs and religions to remember all those affected by war and oppression and to look forward to a time of world peace.
During the concert, five speakers reflected on the events surrounding the bombings with their personal feelings and thoughts.
David Roodyn (a Solicitor and Ambassador of The Healing Foundation) read some moving words from Susan Harrison, a survivor of the Aldgate bomb, as well as relating his personal experience of the work of THF.
Jeremy Penn (Chief Executive of the Baltic Exchange) told of the response of those affected by the IRA bombings of the Exchange on 24 April 1993 and how it drew the City community together.
Seamus Kelly (Chief Commissioner of the St John's Ambulance, London District) related some experiences of the Emergency Services and how all the had responded so bravely and professionally to the disaster.
Dr Donald Dewar (Specialist Registrar in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at University College Hospital) used the theme "the best of days, the worst of days" for his thoughts, having worked on some of the victims in surgery for weeks after the events.
The Rev Dr Brian Lee (Rector of St Botolph's and Deputy of the City of London) told of his experiences of the day and how the Church had been used as a triage centre and as a base for the Emergency Services in the following weeks.
Proceeds from the concert were donated to The Healing Foundation, a national charity that champions the cause of people living with disfigurement and visible loss of function by funding research into pioneering surgical and psychological healing techniques.
The programme comprised:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Adagio and Fugue for strings, C minor K. 546
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem in D minor, K. 626
The LOPO Orchestra performed with the London Orpheus Philharmonic Chorus and Conductor Iain Sutherland