United Kingdom Elgar: Kathryn Rudge (mezzo-soprano), Andrew Staples (tenor), James Platt (baritone), The Choir of King’s College Cambridge, City of London Choir, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Daniel Hyde (Music Director of both choirs and conductor). Royal Festival Hall, London, 13.3.2024. (JR)
Elgar – Dream of Gerontius, Op.38
Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius presents huge challenges to all its performers, so all credit to soloists and choirs for this very fine performance.
The tenor has a huge task and needs plenty of stamina. Andrew Staples is no stranger to the part and the role fits his voice perfectly: he not only sang it flawlessly, but acted it, emotion oozing out of every phrase. Staples hardly looked at his score throughout, mighty impressive; his ‘Sanctus Fortis’ and ‘Take Me Away’ had plenty of heft. James Platt was a sonorous bass, equally fine as the Priest as the pleading Angel of the Agony but not as personally engaging as Andrew Staples who rather stole the visual and aural show.
The soprano, as the Angel, needs to conjure up ethereal beauty, to ravish the senses, and compassionate warmth and Kathryn Rudge did not quite come up to the mark in the latter respect. She has a beautiful voice, hit the high notes of her ‘Alleluias’ with precision, but I prefer a mezzo-soprano with a tad more warmth in the voice to win me over. Rudge’s final farewell ‘Softly and gently’ was, however, very beautifully delivered.
The orchestra, particularly the brass and principal cello, played extremely well. Daniel Hyde has only fairly recently taken over as Music Director of the City of London Choir and this was his first concert conducting his two choirs. Hyde is no stranger to Gerontius; he conducted it with the Bach Choir and the BBC Concert Orchestra in June 2023. Staples and James Platt were the soloists then, with Catherine Wyn-Rogers as the Angel. That concert was in King’s College Chapel, the acoustics of the Royal Festival Hall presented quite a challenge to the very similar forces. Hyde is not the most demonstrative of conductors, certainly in no way flamboyant; he concentrated on exact tempi and beats rather than inject the score with some Elgarian pomp and swagger.
The City of London Choir were impressive across all sections; firm on intonation, diction and rhythm in the tricky passages such as the Demons’ Chorus and the ‘Praise to the Holiest’. They had to fight to be heard when the orchestra was on full blast. The choir hardly needed any show of entries from their Music Director, nor have him mouthing the words. I cannot say quite the same of the semi-chorus, sung by the young singers of King’s College Cambridge where some of them were clearly struggling with the complexity of the score. I also felt that the balance was not right, the young voices often drowned out by other singers and the orchestra. It was a big space to fill.
One final quibble: Gerontius really does not benefit from an interval, although a short pause where the audience remain seated, is beneficial. I suspect the ‘powers that be’ at the Southbank, aiming at bar takings, prevailed over Daniel Hyde’s better musical judgment.
A very fine performance of probably Elgar’s greatest choral work, possibly his masterpiece – but not quite the performance to blow you or sweep you away.
John Rhodes