I think Carmina Burana and Stravinsky's "Symphony of Psalms" are both on in the same concert later this week.
I've never sung in Carmina Burana. Basildon Choral Society invited extras in a few years ago and I thought it would be rather fun, despite their obnoxious musical director. I went to one rehearsal and arrived sans pencil. They had some to borrow so I did, but one of the senior bods said to me in hearing of others "Call yourself a chorister?" in a most unwelcoming way. When we got to sing, they wanted me to sing first bass (I normally sing second), and I don't know what Orff was on when he wrote it, but huge chunks of it were ridiculously high - way outside my comfort zone, so I didn't go back.
I think it must have been about 50 years ago that the Proms had a big problem on their hands when they sang Carmina Burana. The baritone soloist, Thomas Allen, passed out on stage mid-performance and had to be taken to hospital. He had an understudy from the choir, but said understudy was also a GP and as the responsible medic, had to accompany his patient to the hospital, and no-one had thought of that. In the end, some young chap from one of the music colleges, who had recently sung the part in question, came out of the audience, and dressed in dinner jacket and denim jeans, sang the rest of the part in question, to the most wonderful applause that anyone could possibly receive. I don't think he did an encore.
On googling, I found a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJAdGvFNncU&ab_channel=Burtw47Patrick McCarthy is now a musical director of a choir or two in North Essex and Suffolk, I think.
Oh yes, here he is:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_McCarthy_(conductor)
