What this work holds over the Messiah is that it is, basically, an opera without stage, scenery or costume and this
fact was emphasised by the wonderful interaction between the soloists, who acted out their roles as the oratorio progressed.
Of these, two were outstanding - Ed Lyon in the title role and Ben McAteer, in the dual role of Manoa and Harapha.
Handel has given each character some superb arias, and Lyon peaked with Thus When The Sun with McAteer delivering Manoa's
How Willing My Paternal Love with wonderful feeling and a touch of pathos. Emma Harper was seductive and alluring as Dalila,
although it was as a mere Israelite Woman that she performed her best of the evening, the final aria, and the only familiar
part of the whole work, Let The Bright Seraphims. I didn't think Jane Pettegree was up to the same standard as these three,
but she equipped herself very well in what was, as Micah, a difficult and demanding part.
The Chorus and the Heisenberg were in top form, the latter the sort of ensemble any director would enjoy working with
such was their tremendous professionalism, and the former extremely well-schooled, with fine diction and excellent balance.
Both had their individual moments of anxiety towards the end of what is lenghthy work, but Michael Downes soon had them back
in the straight and narrow with the minimum of fuss. When the chorus were in form, which was 90% of the time, they were
in excellent voice, from the opening Awake the Trumpet's Lofty Sound to the penultimate chorus Glorious Hero.
A testament to a fine performance was that the time never seemed to drag. I've been to performances when time seems to stand still but such was the performance from all concerned, this was definitely not the case.