Review: The Creation, Leeds Festival Chorus, Hallè Orchestra, Leeds Town Hall, Saturday, March 4, 2017

HAYDN'S glorious oratorio The Creation has been staple fare for choirs - not least Yorkshire's great choral societies and choirs of church and chapel - ever since the first public performance (sung in German) at Vienna's Burgtheater in 1799 and in English at Covent Garden Theatre a year or so later.

Haydn's instrumental and vocal writing is at its most descriptive in Part 2 of the oratorio with depictions of the newly created animals: including bird calls from the flutes and nightingale trills from the soprano soloist. Awesome tones from the massive contrabassoon depict great whales, lions and stags. Insects are evoked by glissando strings and the earth worm "of long dimensions" by a sustained low D from the bass soloist. I searched the programme in vain for a list of the 48 members of the Hallè Orchestra and the chamber organ accompaniment to the recitatives. Their consummate playing of Haydn's richly inventive score underpinned the incisive rhythmic drive of this performance.

Leeds Festival Chorus projected the English text with needle-point precision and virtually faultless intonation. Such celebratory choruses as the Heavens are Telling, Achieved is the Glorious Work, and the concluding Sing the Lord Ye Voices All radiated abundant light and energy. The three superlative vocal soloists were perfectly matched: Soprano Joanne Lunn as Gabriel and Eve was the embodiment of tonal purity with gleaming top notes and an affinity for the text. The dark, velvety timbre and elegant phrasing of bass David Soar infused his lines with mystery and a touch of humour. Tenor Joshua Ellicott as Uriel marvellously coloured his voice to describe darkness, light, thunder or rain. Conductor Simon Wright, artistic director of Leeds Festival Chorus, moulded the elements of music and drama into a seamless, narrative-driven whole. An enthralled audience responded with prolonged applause.

by Geoffrey Mogridge