The Three Choirs Pageant ends with an distinctive efficiency of The Kingdom – Seen and Heard Worldwide

United Kingdom Three Choirs Pageant [7] – Elgar: Anita Watson (The Blessed Virgin – soprano), Rebecca Afonwy-Jones (Mary Magdalene), Toby Spence (St John), Alex Jones (St Peter), Three Choirs Pageant Refrain, Philharmonia Orchestra / Adrian Partington (conductor). Worcester Cathedral, 3.8.2024. (JQ)

Elgar – The Kingdom, Op.51 (1906)

In 2023, Adrian Partington, the Director of Music at Gloucester Cathedral, introduced down the curtain on that 12 months’s Three Choirs Pageant in Gloucester with a tremendous efficiency of Elgar’s oratorio The Apostles. Usually, it’s the prerogative of the Creative Director of every Pageant (the Director of Music on the host cathedral) to conduct the foremost live performance on the opening and shutting nights. Samuel Hudson duly opened the Pageant final Saturday (overview right here) however tonight, in what appeared to me to be a really beneficiant gesture, he invited Partington to shut the 2024 Pageant by conducting The Kingdom, the companion oratorio to The Apostles.

The Kingdom (1906) was Elgar’s third and final oratorio. It adopted The Dream of Gerontius (1900) and The Apostles (1903). The Kingdom, which primarily centres on Pentecost in addition to different occasions within the very early days of the Christian church, takes up the place The Apostles left off and it shares a bunch of musical leitmotifs with that earlier work. Elgar deliberate The Kingdom because the central panel of a triptych, which might have been accomplished by a 3rd oratorio, The Final Judgement, however he by no means significantly commenced work on that final enterprise. I first acquired to know The Kingdom within the early Seventies by way of Sir Adrian Boult’s magisterial EMI recording; I’ve liked it ever since and over time I’ve had the great fortune to participate as a singer in quite a few performances. The orchestration might not be fairly as inventively vibrant as in The Apostles however the scoring nonetheless reveals Elgar on the top of his very appreciable powers. The choral writing in The Kingdom is, I imagine, much more thrilling and rewarding to sing than within the different two oratorios.

Tonight’s efficiency featured a powerful solo workforce. I’ll as nicely get my one disappointment out of the best way without delay. The tenor function of St John is the least distinguished among the many quartet. Although he was by no means lower than dependable, I’m afraid Toby Spence ceaselessly sounded underneath stress; extra significantly, I listened in useless for any sweetness in his singing. To be trustworthy I had anticipated extra from this extremely skilled singer. I don’t recall listening to mezzo-soprano Rebecca Afonwy-Jones earlier than however I favored what I heard tonight. Her efficiency wasn’t fully flawless however the sound of her voice was persistently pleasing; her tone was heat and wealthy, but this richness was not achieved by way of extreme vibrato, so readability of phrases and voice had been constant options. I favored the sincerity of her singing and the best way she communicated her passages of narration, particularly the episode which opened Half IV. Within the beautiful music of Half II (‘On the Stunning Gate’) each her voice and her expressive method blended ideally with soprano Anita Watson.

Watson is one other singer I imagine I used to be listening to for the primary time and if tonight’s efficiency is something to go by then I hope to listen to way more of her sooner or later. Hers was top-of-the-line assumptions of the soprano function in The Kingdom that I’ve heard, whether or not reside or on CD. I feel her smiling manner helped; that smile was transferred into the sound of her voice. Like her mezzo associate, her tone and diction had been clear all through the efficiency, and I loved each be aware she sang. She made a superb contribution to ‘On the Stunning Gate’ however she saved her absolute best for the good soprano aria ‘The solar goeth down’, which closes Half IV. On this prolonged quantity the soloist is required to provide quite a lot of thoughtfully poetic singing, however rapturous singing is required in the course of the aria, in addition to the power for the voice to journey a big Elgarian orchestra in full spate. Watson was equal to all of those challenges and gave a extremely dedicated and really shifting account of the aria. The subdued finish was excellently achieved. I must also point out the Philharmonia’s chief, Zsolt-Tihamér Visontay who performed the solo violin half on this aria with fragile magnificence. Listening to him, I used to be reminded of the poetry that he delivered to the sluggish motion of Elgar’s Violin Concerto throughout his very good efficiency of the work eventually 12 months’s Pageant. ‘The solar goeth down’ ought to be a pinnacle of any efficiency of this oratorio. With very good singing from Anita Watson and the Philharmonia contributing with nice sensitivity, her excellent rendition of the aria was certainly a pinnacle.

We had a late change of soloist. Bass Alex Jones took the place of baritone Ross Ramgobin. Jones was solely engaged final Monday – so he had lower than every week’s discover – and after the live performance I discovered that he had by no means sung the function earlier than. One wouldn’t have recognized, so assured and well-characterised was his singing. Jones is a former lay clerk at Gloucester Cathedral and an alumnus of the Guildhall College of Music. He’s now pursuing a busy live performance and operatic profession. Lower than three months in the past I took half in a efficiency of Mendelssohn’s Elijah through which Jones took the title function. I used to be significantly impressed then by his singing which was imposing but in addition, when required, delicate. Nonetheless, this engagement was in a distinct league; not solely was it a extra prestigious event however Jones had had restricted preparation time and, dare I say, Elgar’s music is extra demanding than Mendelssohn’s, particularly in such issues as a difficult entries and frequent tempo modifications.

I believed Jones gave a marvellous efficiency as St Peter. Early on, his solo ‘Males and brethren’ in Half I promised a lot; he sang it with authority and presence, each of which had been traits of his efficiency over the work as a complete. His key solo is available in Half III with the prolonged monologue (‘I’ve prayed for thee, that thy religion fail not’). Jones was noble and eloquent all through this lengthy passage; his imposing bodily bearing mixed together with his commanding singing meant that he was fully convincing hereabouts. He invested the phrases of this solo with actual that means and his singing had real presence. This was a really distinguished piece of singing. It’s extra traditional to listen to a baritone in The Kingdom; Jones is a bass, however the higher-lying parts of the half appeared to trigger him no issues in any respect. All through, I believed his contributions had been deeply spectacular.

The choir is essential to the success of any efficiency of this oratorio and the members of the Pageant Refrain had been on fireplace. The opposite works they’ve been tasked with singing throughout the course of the week have had their moments and have posed challenges; for this choir, nevertheless, Elgar was the true deal. This music is of their musical DNA and although they’ve sung very nicely all week, the degrees of attainment and engagement now went up a notch. They served early discover of intent in Half I at ‘O reward the identify of the Lord’, which was sung with conspicuous vitality. Then, on the finish of Half I they gave an impressive rendition of ‘O, ye monks!’; their singing was actually thrilling. In Half III that great tune at ‘He, who walketh upon the wings of the wind’ was proclaimed fervently by the gents of the refrain. For me, although, the spotlight of the choir’s night got here on the finish of Half III. Your entire closing part, after Peter has sung ‘Repent, and be baptized each considered one of you’, is nice music by any requirements. The Pageant Refrain rose to the event with singing that was really thrilling. I discovered the final couple of minutes genuinely stirring and, as a member of the Tenors’ Union, I hope I will probably be allowed to provide a shout-out to the Pageant Refrain tenors; their high Gs and As (on the phrase ‘glorified’) minimize by way of splendidly, simply as they need to. Thought I’ve particularly cited situations the place the choir was at full pelt, I have to hasten to say that their mushy singing was equally spectacular. Because of readability of diction, the choir’s phrases came visiting clearly; this was a efficiency stuffed with textual content. Having sung the work just a few occasions myself, I can attest that their consideration to element in all respects was excellent.

The Philharmonia had been on very good type. Elgar’s orchestration is wealthy, creative and vibrant and these Gamers put throughout each side of the rating with the experience one would count on from them. When the orchestra was enjoying at full energy the sound was really spectacular – although by no means overdone – and I used to be delighted to notice that, resulting from Adrian Partington’s evident care over matter of stability, the choir was by no means overwhelmed. Simply as spectacular although, was the orchestra’s nuanced enjoying within the quieter episodes, resembling the entire of Half II and the fragile little Prelude to Half IV.

The success of the efficiency flowed from the animated and insightful conducting of Adrian Partington. In 2010, he opened his first Gloucester Three Choirs Pageant as Creative Director with a efficiency of The Kingdom which he described then as his ‘favorite massive choral work by Elgar’. That, I imagine, was the primary time I had heard hm conduct music by this composer and, wanting again, I see that I expressed gentle reservations in regards to the swiftness of a few of his tempi. Within the intervening years I’ve turn out to be way more accustomed to Partington’s approach with Elgar; tonight, I positively relished the urgency and drama that he delivered to these passages which require such an method. The Prelude set the tone; Partington started it with nice dramatic thrust and at a swift tempo however afterward he introduced out, by turns, the noble and poetic facets of Elgar’s writing on this Prelude. From my seat I might see Partington’s conducting very clearly, it was apparent that he was galvanising his choir and conducting the orchestra very actively. He additionally stored a really watchful eye on his soloists, accompanying them understandingly. Like all of Elgar’s works, the rating incorporates a mess of small tempo modifications, inserted for expressive causes; I doubt that even considered one of these tempo adjustments was ignored. I had the distinct impression all through the efficiency that the conducting got here from the guts however was the work of a musician with a cool head.

The ultimate part of The Kingdom (The Prayers) glowed warmly and introduced the efficiency to a deeply satisfying conclusion. Over time, I’ve attended an excellent variety of performances of this oratorio, both to hear or to sing as a refrain member. I can truthfully say this distinctive and shifting efficiency was the best reside account that I’ve skilled.

And so, the 2024 Three Choirs Pageant drew to a detailed. It has been an uneven week if I’m trustworthy; not all of the repertoire selections have really set my pulse racing. I’ve attended all however one of many most important night live shows and tonight’s was the one full home. I don’t assume that means conservatism on the a part of audiences – in any case, the difficult BBC Singers programme was very nicely attended – however I’m not certain that every one the programmes struck a chord with the punters, particularly at a time when wallets are underneath stress. I had the sense that the programming was generally too pushed by the theme of the pure world. That’s the hazard of pageant themes; they’ll act as a robust stimulus, however they’ll additionally impose choices on programme design. That could be a subjective view, in fact.

What I hope is much less subjective is my view that on the live shows I attended the efficiency requirements had been uniformly excessive. We heard many wonderful soloists. The Pageant Refrain supplied achieved and dedicated singing, although I stay unconvinced that the programme persistently made the most effective use of those proficient singers. The Pageant Youth Refrain gave an impressive live performance. The Philharmonia vindicated the choice which the Pageant took final 12 months to increase the longstanding, fruitful partnership with the orchestra; the Philharmonia was on very tremendous type all through the week. And congratulations are resulting from Samuel Hudson, the Creative Director and his colleagues, Geraint Bowen and Adrian Partington. Not solely did they put together the Pageant Refrain assiduously however all of them carried out their respective live shows very nicely certainly.

Geraint Bowen has introduced the principal options of his appetising 2025 Hereford programme. Highlights will embody substantial commissioned new works from Richard Blackford and Bob Chilcott. There will even be welcome recital appearances from James Gilchrist and Roderick Williams. Main vocal/orchestral works by Bliss, Handel, Howells, William Mathias and Mendelssohn will probably be included. There will even be a revival of a full-length oratorio, certainly unknown to most individuals, by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: The Atonement, premiered underneath the composer’s baton on the Hereford Three Choirs Pageant of 1903. The Hereford Pageant will happen between 26 July and a pair of August 2025 and full particulars will probably be introduced subsequent Spring. I’m already wanting ahead to Hereford 2025

John Quinn