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\Cathedral concerl
captures spirit of
timeless Requiem
OF all the musical works
which reflect these turbulent
times, the War Requiem of
Benjamin Britten must surely
be the most evocative.
Written 30 years ago for
the opening of the new
Coventry Cathedral, it was
intended to mark the spirit
of reconciliation between
Britain and Germany, hence
the use of a British tenor
Choir performed with skill
and lucidity, cutting effectively through the texture in
the closing pages of the In
Paradisum.
Probably Britten’s most
original writing was the setting of the poems by Wilfred
exciting
and
varied Owen for tenor, baritone
sonorities, from the mournful and chamber ensemble. Ian
double-dotted dragging mo- Bostridge’s
clear unfussy
tif at the outset, through the voice was shown to advanglittering brass of the Domine tage in the moving Agnus
Jesu,
to
the
ominous Dei, while Klaus Hager’s
percussive march-like open- description of the great gun
ing to the Libera Me.
was suitably dark-toned.
The chorus sang with com- They formed a good duet
mitment
and enthusiasm, too, encouraging each other
(notwithstanding some mo- to action near the beginning,
mentary difficulty with the and particularly at the great
notorious tritone in the first moment of reconciliation tomovement), with some won- wards the end where the
chestra’s
performance
in
Guildford Cathedral caught
the spirit of the work admirably, even if the atmosphere
was affected by a few nearby
fireworks displays.
The orchestra, led by Hugh
Bean, made the most of the
and a German baritone in
most performances.
If the images are those of
the First World War in
which the poet Wilfred Owen
fought and died, the impression of timelessness is conveyed by the well-loved
words of the requiem Mass,
and by the contrast between
the robust sounds of a large derful soft tones at the end
chorus and the ethereal tones of the Dies Irae and during
of choirboy trebles.
the poignant Lacrimosa, vo_In the War Requiem Britt- cal dexterity in the Quam
en’s brilliant orchestral colOlim Abrahae fugue, and a
ours and vivid word painting thrilling
sound
in
the
are at their most inspired, Hosanna, even if the voices
and structural unity is achiev- were drowned in the bars
ed by the skilful reiteration
of promipent thematic motifs, some of which are hinted
at with considerable subtlety.
Such a work presents a
challenge to any group of
performers. The Guildford
Philharmonic Choir and Or-
following the shattering cli-
max to the Libera Me. They
were joined in the Latin text
by
the
soprano
Zora
Jehlickova whose rich, full
voice added a lovely halo to
the texture. Out of view, the
trebles of the Cathedral
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two, after death, decide to |
sleep. Here, in one of the |
Requiem’s most moving pas- |
sages, all the performers are
involved.
In early performances of
the War Requiem there were
frequently three conductors
liaising with each other by |
means of mirrors. Last Saturday Neville Creed coordinated all his forces with
consummate skill in a per- |
formance which received the |
applause it deserved.
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Shelagh Godwin |