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Parry, Elgar and Walton: Raphael Wallfisch (cello), Damian Thantrey (baritone), Imperial College Choir, Thomas Hardye Singers, Imperial College Symphony Orchestra, Richard Dickens, Colin Durrant, Cadogan Hall, London, 6.12.2008 (BBr)

Parry: Blest Pair of Sirens (1887)

Elgar: Cello Concerto in E minor, op.85 (1918/1919)

Walton: Belshazzar’s Feast (1929/1931)

It’s always good to hear anything by Parry in concert and this performance of Blest Pair of Sirens, possibly his most famous work, made a welcome start to a very fine concert. That the performance was stodgy is no criticism of the playing for it is, I am sad to say, a rather stodgy piece – in the advertising we were promised I Was Glad, Parry’s 1911 Coronation anthem, which is a much better piece, and that would have been much more welcome. But I mustn’t be churlish. We were given some Parry, in as good a performance as it is likely to get, and for that I am grateful.

Elgar’s Cello Concerto is, of course, an elegy for things lost; a world gone, never to return. Raphael Wallfisch has the temperament, and the understanding of the ebb and flow of the music, which can so easily sound mawkish in the wrong hands, to allow the work to breathe and gradually give up its secrets. This was a commanding performance, Wallfisch listened to the orchestra and disappeared into the texture when necessary, never making a star part of the solo line, but realising that it is a part of the whole. Even the virtuoso sections didn’t sound like mere display pieces. Dickens accompanied admirably and his orchestra responded well to his direction.

After the interval, with his two choirs placed left and right in the gallery and the two extra brass groups in the loft above, and behind, the very full orchestra, Dickens led an highly charged performance of Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast. Here, at last, we could hear the orchestra in all its colourful splendour. For all its faults, and it has some, Belshazzar is still great fun and a wonderful entertainment. The feast itself was splendidly done; the Gods were praised, the wine was drunk and it was a true orgy of sound. Then the writing on the wall, with a very chilling scream of Slain! And the final chorus of praise whose quiet middle section, with divided choir, was quite beautiful. There were a couple of fluffed entries from the choir but these were momentary problems and didn’t affect ones enjoyment of the performance. What did upset me was the singing of soloist Damian Thantrey for several reasons. On a purely personal level I have never heard a performance of this work with a soloist who had the requisite blood and guts to bring off the small, but very important, baritone role, except the much under–rated Raimund Herincx at a Prom in about 1965, under Sargent. Thantrey was weak throughout in this department, showing no personality whatsoever. What was more disturbing was the wide, and very unpleasant, wobble he employed almost continuously. And a real wobble it was; this was no vibrato for it appeared on every note. Strangest of all was on the syllable “Ba” in the word Babylon, in the first long solo recitative, where he started with a wobble, changed to a straight, clean, note then returned to wobble changing the sound of the word, three times, en route; this was most odd. Also, his pronunciation was, at times, rather strange, to say the least. This was very poor singing and spoiled an otherwise fine performance. Thantrey desperately needs to sort out his voice, and erase his bad habits, and he is young enough to do this, before they ruin what could be a good instrument.

Unlike the Royal Academy and Royal College of Music Orchestras this band is made up from students in all departments of Imperial College, plus a lecturer or two, so their achievement is all the more remakable for the whole performance must have been put together in everybody’s spare time.

Apart from my reservations about Thantrey’s singing, this was a fine show and a full house showed its appreciation enthusiastically.

Bob Briggs

 


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