On to Belshazzar (I would say ‘onwards and upwards’ but I don’t think there is any ‘upwards’, in any sense, after the Missa Solemnis). I have had terrible difficulties driving to rehearsals in Bristol this term, and tried to get round them by going to this concert on the train, and arranging to catch the train before the one I needed to. Failure! All trains were cancelled and I was put on the dreaded ‘replacement bus’ which arrived at Temple Meads station around the time I should have been at Colston Hall. I ran from the station to the hall, struggled to find the way on to the stage (I was not on the usual side of the stage and it lurked behind a fire door) and got into place after the rehearsal had started. Fortunately the first page doesn’t involve the sopranos. Less fortunately, my temples were now pounding, and not in time with the beat.
I did manage to get a warning out via social media about what had happened as I was in the semi-chorus which would have left a noticeable gap.
Belshazzar is a new work to me. I’d sung most of Walton’s church music, with the exception of The Twelve, which gave help with turns of phrase. But the continually shifting rhythms just had to be learnt as they were. Apart from the semi-chorus parts, it all came together for me at a fairly late stage. The Philharmonia gave great colour to the orchestral writing. I was near the percussion and greatly enjoyed the special effects such as the resonant ‘god of iron’. My interpretation of ‘Slain!’ was modelled on Brenda Rae’s Todesschrei, and David Soar our soloist had also appeared in Lulu at ENO.
It was programmed alongside the now-familiar Coronation Te Deum, and as Adrian Partington was conducting, this was as in the Three Choirs Festival. Also on the programme were two overtures about English places: Portsmouth Point and Elgar’s Cockaigne.
Afterwards Bristol Choral Society held its farewell event for Adrian, with a presentation, speeches, a toast and lots of food!
Many of us sang Belshazzar again a few days later in St David’s Hall, joining forces with the BBC National Chorus and Orchestra of Wales for a performance broadcast live on Radio 3 (still on iPlayer at the time of writing), with Neal Davies as soloist. Martyn Brabbins conducted, broadly in line with the way we’d sung it the previous Saturday. I was relieved of my semi-chorus duties, and so able to enjoy listening to all the semi-chorus passages.
The programme for this concert also included Elgar’s In the South and Delius’ Double Concerto, with Tasmin Little and Paul Watkins. People were especially impressed with the Delius; I can’t really comment as I have Delius immunity.
Reviews of Cardiff performance: