In our last concert, Belshazzar’s Feast, on Thursday 8 May at the Royal Festival Hall, we travelled around the world with music from three fine British composers, stopping off in Ancient Babylon, Norway and Barcelona. It was certainly a ‘wild party’, as The Times called it!
The evening started with Delius’ Song of the High Hills, which Delius wrote as an ode to his beloved Norway. Images of the country’s gorgeous ‘Vidda’ (mountain plains) were shown on screen as The Bach Choir delivered a wordless chorus with real sensitivity. The critics enjoyed this one:
“It did cast quite a spell, mind, thanks to a beautiful oboe solo from Timothy Rundle on the approach, and some superbly controlled singing from The Bach Choir, headed by soloists Amy Carson (soprano) and Harry Jacques (tenor)”
Arcana FM
Next it was on to Barcelona for Richard Blackford’s La Sagrada Familia Symphony, a work inspired by the famous basilica in Barcelona. Blackford’s work mirrored the beauty of this incredible building which was depicted on screen alongside the performance in a film that was directed by Blackford himself. The film and piece depict the three facades of the building – the Nativity, the Passion and the Gaudi facades. The piece’s rousing climax, handled adeptly by the Philharmonic Orchestra and David Hill, and the beautiful shots on screen were a feast for the eyes and ears….
“Blackford’s lively imagination, Hill’s firm control and the Philharmonia’s sheen offered much to savour.”
Geoff Brown, The Times, 09/05/25
The main event was Belshazzar’s Feast. Walton’s work “seems to exist solely to bring down the house” and that it did. The energy started high and barely dropped from the commanding opening passage through to the dissonant thrill ride of the second section through to the shimmering Praise Ye. David Hill’s mastery of the work was evident here, as he effortlessly steered the enormous ensemble through this turbulent masterpiece (two brass sections flanked the audience and the stage, surrounding the audience with Walton’s enormous sound). Geoff Brown from The Times summed it up well:
“The Babylonian king Belshazzar, the Old Testament tells us, threw a pretty wild party… but David Hill, the Bach Choir and the Philharmonia Orchestra went wilder still in the Royal Festival Hall in London during their thunderous account of Walton’s irresistible cantata Belshazzar’s Feast.”
Geoff Brown, The Times, 09/05/25
If you’re looking for more choral thrills on an otherworldly scale, our next concert certainly delivers! We’ll be singing Mahler 8 at St Paul’s Cathedral on October 9 2025 – book your tickets here now.