Mendelssohn’s early Oratorio was composed when he was only 25 and is seldom performed so it was good to see this go-ahead Society performing it. It was also good to see a full house. The three principal themes are the martyrdom of St Stephen, the conversion of St Paul and the apostle’s subsequent career. The choir has to work hard with many choruses, some of them full-throated, and the singers must have been exhausted by the end of this engrossing evening. Towards the end of this marathon I began to wonder if a little judicious pruning might have worked to the benefit of both choir and audience.

I was impressed by the choir’s clear diction for the most part and by the volume of sound it produced when required beginning with the opening strong and compelling chorus Lord, Thou alone art God during which there is a restless, agitated theme when the heathen furiously rages. This chorus sets the theme for many subsequent ones, for example the tumultuous chorus expressing rage and scorn Is this He who in Jerusalem. On the fewer occasions when the mood is more restrained the effect is wonderful with the lyricism of (for example) How lovely are Thy messengers that preach us the gospel of peace. But in a short review I can only hint at the rage contained much of the time in the choruses that contrasts with those lovely Mendelssohn-flavoured Bach chorales, the clear, stately and dignified fugue that opens the second part, the exultation in rise and shine and the echoes of Handel in This is Jehovah's temple and elsewhere.

The Society was fortunate to be accompanied by the excellent Emerald Ensemble under Roger Huckle which contributed a lot to the success of the evening. The three soloists met the numerous challenges reasonably well and the conductor, Ian Harrold, kept careful control of his massed forces and deserves credit for encouraging the choir to give of its considerable best.

At the start of the evening hard-working secretary, Julia O’Connor-Beach, was presented with the prestigious Lady Hilary Groves prize for 2008.

DONALD HOLLINS
16 November 2008