Llewellyn Choir
Conducted by Rowan
Harvey-Martin
Wesley Uniting
Church, Forrest, Saturday 16 December
Reviewed by Len Power
L'Enfance du Christ (The Childhood of Christ) is an oratorio
by Hector Berlioz, based on the Holy Family's flight into Egypt. It was first performed in Paris in 1854. The work is in three distinct sections. The first part details King Herod ordering
the death of new-born children in Judaea and the second shows the Holy Family -
Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus - leaving for Egypt to escape the death threat.
In the third part, the family find
refuge in the Egyptian town of Saïs with a family of Ishmailites.
Berlioz’s music for this work has some very tender moments
such as the well-known Shepherd’s Farewell and the Mary and Joseph duet. The music for Herod’s decision to kill the
new born children is chilling and dramatic and the whole work maintains
interest throughout with its many challenges for soloists and choir members.
Conductor, Rowan Harvey-Martin, has done an excellent job
bringing this large work together.
Tenor, Michael Martin, sang the role of the Narrator with great feeling,
especially at the start of the third section.
As Herod, Andrew Fysh’s fine bass voice was heard to great effect in the
frenzied sequence where he orders the death of the babies.
Rebecca Collins gave an impassioned performance as Mary,
singing and acting the role with clarity and warmth. The duet in the stable in Bethlehem with
Rohan Thatcher, in excellent voice as Joseph, was especially notable. Michael Wilson sang the roles of Polydorus
and the Father with strength and dignity.
The shepherd’s farewell to the Holy Family was memorably sung by the
large Llewellyn Choir and the finale of the work was sung with great
sensitivity.
Terese Rabe and Rebecca Timony gave a fine performance of
the flute duet and the Llewellyn Sinfonia played the musical accompaniment very
well.
The concert finished with three Christmas carols. The audience was invited to join the choir in
singing the last carol, ‘Silent Night’, and the sound of all our voices filling
the Wesley Uniting Church was quite moving.
This review was first
published in the Canberra City News digital edition of 17 December 2017.
Len Power’s reviews
are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7’s new ‘On Stage’ program on Mondays from
3.30pm and on ‘Artcetera’ from 9.00am on Saturdays.
