Review: The Sixteen at Birmingham town Hall

Oct 5 2009 By Norman Stinchcombe

Handel’s Messiah launched the 175th anniversary celebrations of the opening of Birmingham Town Hall.

It was a fitting choice, since it is in integral part of the hall’s illustrious musical history.

A time-travelling Victorian or Edwardian music lover would have been amazed at this performance by The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra under Harry Christophers.

Why were the choir stalls not filled with choristers, but members of the public? Because the choir, orchestra and soloists numbered just over 40 people and they all fitted on the concert platform with room to spare.

Back then, size and sonority were prized. This was very much a Messiah for today, slim and trim, as clean and bright as the refurbished hall itself. Its padded upholstery has gone along with the dust and cobwebs.

Christophers did the same for Messiah – pomposity and portamento dumped into a musical skip.

The choir’s flexibility, clear diction and expressiveness made them a joy to hear – everything sung with taste, beauty and a relish for the text’s meaning.

In All we like sheep, they skipped and frolicked like lambs; characterized the chorus of derision All they that see him with real venom and sang with hushed intensity in Since by man came death.

The soloists integrated well with this style, Gillian Keith’s soprano and John Mark Ainsley’s tenor both light and lyrical and Christopher Purves’ baritone, preferring accurate florid runs to vocal power. Only Catherine Wyn-Rogers ventured further, bringing an operatic weight to He was despised.

This performance had many virtues but lacked one – grandeur.

Sometimes, size does matter.

There’s a frisson of excitement when a chorus of 200 sing The Hallelujah! Chorus that does not come when it is sung by fewer than two dozen.

Rating: 4/5