Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Down our way we believe that ignorance can not only be pardoned, it can be cured. To his shame, this reviewer associated Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934) with orchestral music rather than choral. When I think of Elgar it is the 'Enigma Variations' or his 'cello concerto that come to mind. And then this splendid recording of 'The Kingdom' arrives and opens up a whole new world. Here David Temple has brought together a top choir in the Crouch End Festival Chorus, a proficient orchestra in the London Mozart Players, and four first class soloists: Francesca Chiejina (soprano) as the Blessed Virgin, Dame Sarah Connolly (contralto) as Mary Magdalene, Benjamin Hulett (tenor) as St John, and Ashley Riches (bass) as St Peter. Composed in 1906 after 'The Dream of Gerontius' and 'The Apostles', 'The Kingdom' depicts the lives of Christ's disciples and the community of the early church with a mixture of gentle conversational sections and rousing dramatic passages. Recorded in the recently restored Victorian Theatre at Alexandra Palace, the musical team give the piece a suitable Edwardian performance in that these oratorios need a large choir and orchestra to bring out the grandeur and this necessitates strong soloists to project above the accompaniment. The four on stage for this recording do exactly that. The story is taken from the first part of the Book of Acts taking us from the Upper Room to the Beautiful Gate of the Temple where a paralysed beggar is healed and then on to the glory of the arrival of the Holy Spirit and the first preaching of the Gospel on the Day of Pentecost. Elgar's music takes us from meditative reflection at the Breaking of Bread through to the exaltation of Pentecost without ever flagging. Echoing Sir Adrian Boult, David Temple considers the oratorio to be Elgar's pinnacle achievement. "I truly believe 'The Kingdom' to be Elgar's greatest choral work. It is a gem from the first note to the last," and who am I to disagree? It is true that the work has a dated feel to it and is indeed of its time but any listener who enjoys Elgar's instrumental music will not fail to enjoy this oratorio and those who were previously aware of Elgar as a writer of vocal music will probably already know of 'The Kingdom', but even if you have a recording in your library I suggest that this one is still worth hearing.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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