Czechs Presidency
The Czech Presidency of the EU started on a high note in London with an evening of Czech composers performed by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Jirí Belohlávek at the Barbican. The concert opened with Smetana’s stirring and patriotic overture to his opera Libuse, followed by a whimsical piece by Josef Suk, performed by Czech violinist Ivan Zenaty, and Mahler’s Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen with Czech mezzo-soprano Dagmar Pecková, ending in a climactic rendition of Dvorak’s New World Symphony which had the audience on their feet. A week later, the Embassy hosted an official party, complete with Czech beer on tap, hearty Czech fare and the cutting of the ‘back-to-front’ Presidency cake.

A spread of hearty Czech fare

Harriet Harman MP with Pavla Skachova (Czech Embassy)

Simon Fraser talks to Carles Casajuana I Palet

The ‘backto-front’ Presidency cake

Czech Ambassador Jan Winkler gives an address on the Czech Presidency