Bath Choral Society

Messiah 

Bath Abbey

This was a superbly crafted Messiah under the direction of – appropriately – master-craftsman Jeremy Summerly, whose conducting style is spare to the point of emaciation.  Not a gesture wasted, yet extraordinarily productive, building on the work done by new conductor Will Dawes. 

The architecture was well nigh perfect, from the reassurance of the opening Comfort Ye, building up through The Glory of the Lord, He Shall Purify, and Glory to God – no copies – to the bouncing lilt of His Yoke is Easy. 

Then in part two, the Passion story, and the sledgehammer impact of Surely, the weighty The Lord gave the Word, a brisk Let us break their bonds to the thrilling majesty of Hallelujah. 

In part three, the biting contrast of Since by man came death to the final Worthy is the Lamb and Amen.  The tempi were immaculately judged, the choral sound carefully nuanced and expertly shaded to create the contrasts which make this a work of genius.

 The pace and dramatic intensity gradually built up to show the choir at its best, the balance excellent – no fears for the sopranos up in the stratosphere – the ensemble accurate and well integrated.

Soprano Helen-Jane Howells has a supple coloratura sound, gracefully phrased, a big voice when she really opens up:  Kitty Whately's warm controlled mezzo gave He was despised real pathos: tenor Peter Davoren's rich opening Comfort Ye set exactly the right atmosphere and  crucially important   done with vibrant confidence.  And Alex Ashworth, after a rather over hasty Shaking of the Heavens gave us a splendidly uplifting Trumpet shall Sound, alongside Gavin Wells' crystal clear trumpet.

Roger Huckle's Bristol Ensemble provided a totally supportive accompaniment, just the right level of sound, the orchestral interludes beautifully played, with Imogen Triner (oboe), Robyn Austin (cello continuo), John Jenkins (harpsichord continuo) and Marcus Sealy at the organ, making their own distinctive contributions.  Above all, this performance had a purposeful unity and  a sense of structure  as each of the choruses and solos succeeded one another and the drama unfolded.  A most memorable Messiah.

Peter Lloyd Williams