Worcester Festival Choral Society

Chameleon Arts Orchestra

Adrian Lucas, conductor

Worcester Cathedral

Saturday, April 2

WALTON’S Belshazzar’s Feast has awkward leaps and rhythms in the chorus and soloist lines, but Worcester Festival Choral Society brought off a rendering of this biblical narrative work that made these traits seem easy and exciting.

Babylon in Saturday night’s concert was a thrilling place to be. The Chameleon Arts Orchestra contributed greatly to the excited. Adrian Lucas, as ever, got the best out of all of them.

Preceding the Walton, Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No. 5 seemed like a time filler when, after the interval, we were anticipating Belshazzar’s Feast with much pleasure. Perhaps they thought they hadn’t made enough use of the large orchestra.

Elgar’s Sea Pictures in the first half used Catherine King’s special low register voice to enhance the poetry of the songs. Her higher register notes created goose pimples on my skin. Elgar’s usual habit of creating sudden increases in volume followed by decreases was in the work too and this also seemed to affect its audience.

Charles Villiers Stanford’s Songs of the Fleet was creditable more than thrilling, mostly to do with Stanford’s composition and not the performers (Personally, I don’t think Stanford is in the same league as Elgar). The orchestra–chorus balance was a little orchestra heavy here as well.

What was likeable and laudable, however, was the way William Clements’s voice was very audible with clear words and moving sentiments.