A work of great interest and merit: that was this paper\u2019s polite assessment when Samuel Coleridge-Taylor\u2019s sacred cantata The Atonement was premiered in Hereford Cathedral in 1903 during that year\u2019s edition of the already venerable Three Choirs Festival. Other views at the time weren\u2019t nearly as kind and this epic retelling of the gospel story, pinned to an often fusty libretto by a local author, Alice Parsons, soon disappeared from view. Fetched from its cupboard, it has now been revived in the same cathedral at the 297th Three Choirs Festival in the year of Coleridge-Taylor\u2019s 150th birthday.<\/p>\n
Truth to tell, it was easy to find audible reasons why the previous century didn\u2019t rush to revive it. Stretches, especially in the early stages, sounded as if Coleridge-Taylor, hot from the success of his first Hiawatha cantata, had played safe by purchasing rolls of musical carpet labelled Pious Oratorio, Late 19th Century, and had tacked them down without much flair over Parsons\u2019s rather worn floorboards. Atmospheric use of lower brass, winds and timpani aside, much of the orchestration retained the colour of porridge. Harmonies were predictably cosy.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The best classical concerts and opera: our reviews<\/a><\/p>\n Happily the six soloists, the Three Choirs Festival Chorus and the Philharmonia Orchestra, persuasively conducted by Worcester Cathedral\u2019s Samuel Hudson, displayed plenty of vim. Coleridge-Taylor himself became livelier and more imaginative the closer the narrative moved toward Christ\u2019s crucifixion. Exchanges between Mark Le Brocq\u2019s Pontius Pilate and the chorus of onlookers were genuinely dramatic. This portion was also enlivened by the surprise appearance of Pilate\u2019s wife, whose solo singing (thank you, Rebecca Hardwick) was so adroit, I was sorry that Hudson followed the composer\u2019s second thoughts by cutting Mr and Mrs Pilate\u2019s duet, even though it was heavily criticised in 1903 as an intrusion.<\/p>\n \u2022 Read more classical reviews, guides and interviews<\/a><\/p>\n The words of Christ, eloquently conveyed by David Stout, never seemed to inspire Coleridge-Taylor in quite the same way: possibly he felt penned in by reverence. The choral writing had much greater spirit. Orchestral details perked up as well, from the beautiful violin phrase leading into the procession towards Calvary to the dark rumbling storm marking Christ\u2019s last moments on the cross. So there were fine moments and performers with gusto; an appreciative audience too. However, let\u2019s get the perspective right: this was an interesting and useful revival but The Atonement is not a neglected masterpiece.
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Festival runs to Aug 2, 3choirs.org<\/a><\/p>\n