The acoustics of St. John’s, Smith Square, which I know well after so many BBC Lunchtime Concerts there during the 1980s and 1990s, are well suited to choral music and the recording is as natural as most BIS issues tend to be. Recorded in Surround Sound 5.0 (with no separate bass channel added) the sound-picture is warm but also detailed.

The two soloists may seem slightly backwardly balanced but this probably has to do with their relatively small voices and that this was the real balance at St John’s. Carolyn Sampson’s light, effortlessly produced soprano carries well anyway and she sings the famous Let the bright Seraphim with accomplishment. The brilliant trumpet soloist should also have been named in the booklet. Robin Blaze sounds a little pale when coming in after the spectacular full orchestral forces and eight-part choir in the Athalia chorus.

I need not go into details on every chorus but The people shall hear, with its staccato accompaniment and threatening outpouring from the choir makes for an imposing opening. Zadok the Priest has vitality and rhythmic spring and Jealousy, infernal pest from Hercules is eerie, sounding very ‘modern’. See the conquering hero comes was originally written for Joshua but later inserted into a revival of Judas Maccabaeus. It is also good to have the lament He saw the lovely youth from Theodora since this was Handel’s own favourite among his own music. It may not be as immediately catchy as the Hallelujah from Messiah, but it is certainly a great piece of music.

David Hill carries on the tradition from his predecessors as conductor of the Bach Choir excellently and the English Concert play with ardour. Anyone wanting a cross-section of some of Handel’s best choral music need look no further.

-- Göran Forsling, MusicWeb International