Choir's every word is bright and clear

Handel composed Messiah in an age of religious observance. From its beginnings, it was associated with charitable giving. We anticipate it at Christmas like the warm embrace of an old friend, but because it is so popular and produced frequently, performances carry the danger of complacency and cliché. Clichés are such however, because they are true. The task for singers of Messiah is to present that truth in a fresh and inspired way, not to carry listeners along in some comfortable mist, so that they might profitably have brought along their knitting, but to challenge and captivate them utterly.

Levens Choir and their director Ian Jones achieved this objective at St Martin’s Church, an attractive venue with a stuccoed and painted interior and a sympathetic acoustic. Their performance was nuanced, sensitive and powerful and their every word bright and clear. Soloists Philippa Hyde (soprano), Joyce Tindsley (contralto), Stephen Newlove (tenor) and Jolyon Dodgson (bass), honoured the text with insight, commitment and passion. The Kent Sinfonietta, leader Roland Fudge, unified this memorable performance.

Thelma Holt