Francesca Chiejina, Sarah Connolly, Benjamin Hulett, Ashley Riches

Crouch End Festival Chorus, London Mozart Players/David Temple

Signum Classics SIGCD896 (2 CDs)

‘This purest and serenest of the composer’s works, with its elevating message of spiritual peace and comfort’. So wrote August Jaeger in his Analytical & Descriptive Notes for Elgar’s The Kingdom. Jaeger’s comments came to mind as I concluded listening to this indispensable new recording.

The first time I came by the name of David Temple was many years ago when the Meridan Label released an LP of Elgar ‘s Choral Songs titled ‘Evening Scene’. It turns out that one of those who inspired the recording was the late and much missed Geoff Hodgkins, a close friend of Temple. So, here we are with another recording (the fifth commercial release after Boult, Slatkin, Hickox and Elder) conducted by Temple which is of course on a far larger scale and ambition than his Meridian venture. The Signum Classics promotional material says ‘Elgar’s unjustly neglected “greatest choral masterpiece’ (Jeremy Dibble)”’, and of Elgar’s three large scale choral compositions, Temple believes The Kingdom to be Elgar’s finest. They are not alone, for their opinion was shared by Sir Adrian Boult. Notwithstanding their advocacy I am not so sure. The ‘white heat’ that formed the composition of The Dream of Gerontius composed from Elgar’s ‘insidest inside’ remains for me one of his most exceptional and original achievements. However, this superb recording goes a long way to support Dibble’s and Temple’s advocacy and within is some of Elgar’s finest choral writing, which never ceases to move me profoundly. Furthermore, is there anything more exciting in British music than the end of part three of The Kingdom: a brilliant amalgam of soloists, chorus and orchestra: ‘repent and be baptised’ – how could you refuse? In short, I think this recording is brilliant and any criticisms I have are minor and should have no influence on a decision to buy it which, frankly, is the responsibility of all members of The Elgar Society which sponsored this issue. We certainly ‘got value for money’!

Why is it so good? Firstly, Temple keeps a secure hand on the pacing. Eleswhere the has expressed his admiration for Elgar’s thrilling recording of the Prelude to The Kingdom which has a glorious sense of forward movement imbued with infectious rubato. Temple matches Elgar and even shaves a second or two off Elgar in 1933 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Secondly, the Crouch End Choir is outstanding (with superb tenors) at one with Temple and more than up to exposure in moments such as when the sopranos and contraltos are alone between cues 73 and 74: ‘I will pour forth of My Spirit, and they shall prophesy’. Then there are the soloists who have to compete, in recording terms, with the teams picked by Slatkin, Hickox and our President and, of course the peerless Margaret Price and John Shirley-Quirk for Boult in 1968. The least rewarding solo part is that for the solo contralto or mezzo voice and Dame Sarah Connolly is more than reliable as part of the ensemble and in the moments she assumes the limelight. Then came one of the surprises for me, the clear beautiful tenor voice of St. John a role I have tended to feel to be rather disappointing. Step forward Benjamin Hulett who makes his mark on the role – never dominating that of St. Peter but more than holding his own and making me really listen to him. He will make an outstanding Gerontius.

So, how to match Margaret Price, whose operatic training and ability as a singer of lieder enabled her to perform ‘The Sun goeth down’ with such passion, clarity and power? Well, in Francesca Chiejina, Temple has found a voice which brings a superb and secure technique to play notably in this great ‘scena’. She is also utterly secure when singing in quieter passages and her duets with Connolly blend perfectly. She is another tribute to the wonderful Jette Parker scheme at the Royal Opera. Ashley Riches brings a quite authority to the role that binds The Kingdom together. His St. Peter is, perhaps slightly more tentative than Shirley-Quirk – entirely valid in my view when you consider what he has experienced and will experience in The Kingdom.

Finally, the London Mozart Players, a group never designed for music of this nature, play gloriously. They may not have the heft of the strings of the Hallé or LSO but I did not really notice and the orchestral balance is managed superbly by the engineers, exposing Elgar’s glorious orchestration for our delight.

The picture on the cover of the booklet is a striking image by the artist John Featherstone and the notes for the recording are written by Jeremy Dibble, no less, whose perceptive analysis will be of great assistance to listeners new to The Kingdom.

Signum Classics are to be congratulated, once again, for producing within a few months, two outstanding Elgar recordings, the McCreesh Dream of Gerontius and this, the fifth commercial recording of The Kingdom to be made in over nearly 60 years. It is one of the best. Do not delay – buy it - and if you do, we might get The Apostles!

Andrew Neill