By Oscar Ford.

Sarah Connolly (mezzo-soprano), David Butt Philip (tenor), Roderick Williams (baritone), BBC Symphony Chorus (chorus master: Neil Ferris), BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo (conductor). Barbican Hall, 13 December 2024

Originally, this concert was one of the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s routine Friday night performances in the Barbican, this time Berlioz’s L’Enfance du Christ. The concert was to be conducted by the chief conductor, Sir Andrew Davis. Maestro Davis died on the 20^th of April 2024, and in his memory the concert was changed last minute to the fitting, dazzling, however imposing oratorio by Elgar. The Dream of Gerontius follows an old everyman (tenor David Butt Philip) who comes to terms with his own death before dying and meeting his very own guardian angel (mezzo Sarah Connolly), finally being judged by God himself, lowered into the lake of Purgatory and promised eternal glory. All in a day’s work!

David Butt Philip’s verdian, refreshing tone shone throughout the (strikingly dead acoustic of the) Barbican Hall in the Southbank Centre; capturing the unstable wavering between fear and acceptance and his high notes punctuated the atmosphere in the room with squillo and the disquietude of a dying man. Roderick Williams’ priest reassured with a controlled and effortless blessing before the end of Part I, his stage experience was evident here in his composed presence. Sarah Connolly’s guardian angel had the same air of consolation, but had a suggestion of darker, magisterial moments to come. The BBC Symphony Chorus play a multifaceted role as friends of Gerontius, demons, Angelicals, angels and souls in Purgatory. Despite lacking in diction occasionally, in such a challenging role not only in notes but also switching rapidly between characters and tone. As the large orchestration, 3 choirs and band of soloists joined in for the climactic Praise to the Holiest in the Height, a wall of sound stampeded through the hall and the energy was ecstatic as Elgars exuberant lyricism summoned angels in the chorus. Roderick Williams’ new role as the Angel of Agony once again demonstrated how at home he is in this acoustic and work as he sung a stirring aria before The Soul’s judgement, however leaving some emotional volume to be desired. In the final moment of divine decree, a huge orchestral outburst demands the orchestra “for one moment, must every instrument exert its fullest force” and Sakari Oramo did not hold back. Despite perhaps losing the momentum slightly during the latter part, and having to warm to the acoustic during the prelude, Oramo gave rise to a glorious, divine construction that was an original but equally intimate tribute to the late Sir Andrew Davis.

As Oramo and his assemblage’s rich musical output synthesises Newman’s divine words with a glorious instrumentation by Elgar and a touch of Sir Davis magic, the ending of the work resolves to a quiet and reclusive conclusion; it seems as if Oramo has let Davis to a final resting place and it was a truly moving experience to listen to.