It was impressive to see the Festival Choir and Orchestra, led by their conductor Donald Judge, walk into place, their usual dress changed to black and only a vivid spot of colour from a blood red poppy at the shoulder of each person to relieve the gravity. This concert was rather a meditation on the Great War of 1914-1918 to celebrate its centenary, and was devised by Donald Judge to bring to mind the intense suffering, the loss and the waste, the hopes and the fears endured by everyone during those four years. The best way to reach the heart of this concert is to read the exposition written by Donald Judge himself in the programme notes. This fine statement traces the motives for his year-long thoughts and research as to the way to mark the historic importance of this centenary: and it shows how the final shaping of poetry, prose readings and music came about. No better account could have been given in order to reveal its meaning.
Even so, a few words on how it sounded and how it was received would not be out of place. Each phase of the music was introduced by a poem or an extract from prose works, ranging from the war-poets such as Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen to the King James’ Bible, Christina Rossetti and the words of Harry Patch. The readers spoke with quiet authority, taking to themselves the thoughts and emotions of each passage. Their restraint and simple delivery suited well each reading.
The choir faced music, mostly Baroque, which was previously unknown to them. They sang well, with an intense concentration on the scores: and they were able to maintain this vital focus on reading the music while keeping an unobtrusive eye on the conductor as well. It was a happy partnership in strength, depth and expressiveness especially in the Stabat Mater. The soloists put their hearts fully into the meaning of what they sang, each voice catching the spirit of the piece and allowing the music itself to lead the way. There was no lapse from their control into something inappropriate in style for this concert.
The instrumentalists comprised five strings, a bassoon and a recorder (and a continuo as well). The Baroque orchestration in their hands was delightful, the recorder and bassoon together providing a fresh attractive sound when appearing in the score. The playing throughout from the whole ensemble sustained the choir in an admirable way and showed their sensitivity to the style needed.
For some in the audience perhaps a special moment came in the collage of carols during the ‘Christmas Truce’ passage. This imaginative approach fashioned by Donald Judge was far removed from the usual singing of carols by choir and orchestra in Christmas concerts. Here was a series of brief quotations, just a line or two, from carols most characteristic of the major powers who would sing them during the ‘Truce’ on Christmas Eve. There was only a murmuring sustinato from the strings to support it. It was ethereal and very moving. The four voices were hushed, seeming to come from afar, so gentle and floating. In one piercing moment, we were taken into the trenches, with the men, each side hearing the others over no-mans-land. This creative stroke was the most beautiful and the most painful in the whole evening.
The concert ended with J. C. Bach’s Magnificat – a well sung ending of hope and joy.
The recital was an artistic endeavour given to the memory of The Fallen and entirely relevant to the coming of the Prince of Peace whose birth it celebrated.
JH