Mendelssohn’s great Biblical oratorio is a gripping chronicle about the life of the bold prophet Elijah. It has remained a choral favourite ever since its premiere at the Birmingham Festival in 1846, in the heyday of Victorian England. Unlike the tendency of our own time, which is to scale works down to a few voices per part, the Victorians were fans of going to the opposite extreme. As far as they were concerned it was the more the merrier, and in the case of Elijah, the mightier.
The composer was therefore determined that the drama of the story should be of central importance. And dramatic it certainly is: a curse bringing the scourge of drought; then despair, wickedness, cruelty, relief, tenderness and mercy all play their part. The turmoil is finally resolved in an impassioned chorus of praise and thanksgiving to the ‘Lord, our Creator’.
The placement of recitative, arioso, quartet, chorus, coupled with the drama played out before the audience, will easily hold your attention along with plenty of heart and spirit.
Enjoy a grand choral spectacular with this collaboration of choirs, soloists and orchestra.
Conductor: Alexander Fokkens
Soloists:
Soprano Jennifer Bird-Arvidsson
Alto Jacobi de Villiers
Tenor Lunga Hallam
Baritone George Stevens
UCT Symphony Orchestra
Philharmonia Choir of Cape Town (celebrating their 50th anniversary year)
Tickets will go live on www.quicket.co.za this week…