CLASSICAL AND JAZZ: Review - Highgate Choral Society gives a tremendous performance at All Hallow’s Church
Camden New Journal, 15 November, 2012 by SEBASTIAN TAYLOR
Elgar’s setting of Cardinal Newman’s poem The Dream of Gerontius is one of the great pillars of the British choral tradition and the Highgate Choral Society gave a performance of distinction on Saturday at All Hallow’s Church in Hampstead. The choir sang with an obvious attention to detail in the prayerful sections in part one as Gerontius lays dying and excelled in the choral outbursts as it took on the role of demons and angels in part two. Stephanie Marshall proved to be a comforting angel and her portrayal as Gerontius’s guardian projected the necessary warmth. Mark Stone sang with great command as the Angel of the Agony and Philip Sheffield tackled the demanding role of Gerontius with dramatic flair although his voice sounded a little fragile at times. The New London Orchestra played superbly under the direction of Ronald Corp who seemed to relish the drama of the work and brought the performance to a very moving conclusion.