Saturday 3rd June 2023
The Elgar Festival
Gala Concert
Worcester Cathedral ****
“One of the
greatest slow movements since Beethoven”, Elgar’s publisher Augustus Jaeger
(the original dedicatee of ‘Nimrod’) wrote of Sir Edward’s First Symphony – and
hearing this sincere and loving performance given by the English Symphony
Orchestra, sensitively shaped by conductor Kenneth Woods, it’s hard to
disagree.
The slow
movement is the emotional heart of this symphony and where Worcester
Cathedral’s warm and resonant acoustic was of most benefit; in other movements,
it proved less helpful, blurring some of the detail of Elgar’s wonderful
orchestration and dulling the bite of the brass articulation.
But there was
so much to admire here in terms of the playing – gutsy strings, fine solos from
the woodwind and orchestral leader, and heroic horns in their delivery of the
Straussian demands placed upon them. Throughout the work, Woods kept the pace flowing
effectively (especially in the brooding allegro of the first movement),
but never rushing passages that needed to breathe, clearly revealing his love
for – and understanding of – this music.
Elgar’s very
personal portrait, ‘The Music Makers’, which quotes the First Symphony along
with many of his other ‘greatest hits’, formed the centrepiece of the first
half. Star turn here was undoubtedly contralto soloist Jess Dandy who delivered
her heartfelt contributions with a rich and honeyed tone. The Elgar Festival
Chorus – eighty or so singers recruited from a selection of local choral societies
– were somewhat overwhelmed sonically (both volume and diction), and not always
‘joined at the hip’ with their accompaniment either (some more ‘chorus specific’
direction from the podium might have helped), but proved to be at their best
during the whispered passages.
Preceding this
Elgar-fest was Michael Berkeley’s intriguing ‘Secret Garden,’ its rich tapestry
of orchestral colours cleverly teasing the listener as to whether they should
be in awe or in fear of the secrets within (most likely both).
Given Woods’
impassioned plea from the rostrum to speak up for music-making at a time when
it’s under threat, special mention should be made of the festival’s Young
Composer Competition whose winning fanfare by Samsara Prokopp proved to be a joyful
concert opener.
Anthony Bradbury