Bach Christmas Oratorio with Instruments of Time and Truth at Dorchester Abbey.

This performance of J.S. Bach's festive and ever-delightful Christmas Oratorio, benefitted from many things. Firstly there was the enthusiasm of Tom Neal, the new director of Benson Choral Society, who really made the music dance from the very opening chorus, "Come now with gladness."

    There was also the use of valveless baroque trumpets by Instruments of Time and Truth, which echoed splendidly around the Gothic vaulting of the thousand-year old Dorchester Abbey. The soft, sympathetic timbre of original string instruments gave the choir a chance to shine.

   Above all it was the tenor soloist, Toby Ward, who made the performance outstanding. A former principal tenor at King's College Cambridge, he has become a coveted soloist appearing with many distinguished ensembles in Britain and abroad, and has founded his own vocal group Ensemble Pro Victoria, which issues recordings of Tudor Music. A deeply expressive singer, he was really an ideal choice for the Evangelist, and his golden tones were a joy to listen to.  

The bass soloist, Daniel Tate, also deserves mention. His powerful and arresting voice made a fine contrast with that of Toby Ward. 

    The soprano soloist seemed to be straining at times to dominate the space, a quite unnecessary anxiety as I can assure her that the acoustics of Dorchester Abbey are marvellous, and even sitting at the back people can hear everything perfectly. In the Virgin's lovely aria, "Slumber, Beloved" (number 19), there are rising intervals of an octave and then a sixth, which really needed to be treated with more finesse. The voice should just waft upwards like a feather on the air, not go for those top notes so forcefully.

    However, all in all this was a splendid performance and an excellent way to greet the Christmas season. Dorchester Abbey is built on the site of an Anglo-Saxon cathedral that was founded in the 7th century by Bishop Birinus. There was millennium of worship on that site even when Bach wrote the Christmas Oratorio in the early 1700s. It is an awesome tradition and one we should be proud to keep up.

https://www.timeandtruth.co.uk/

https://www.bensonchoralsociety.org.uk/

https://www.ensembleprovictoria.com/tobywarddirector