Everything was as it should be for Elgar's The Apostles. It was a giant of a production - I've never seen so many singers on the Usher Hall stage never mind the band of Angels, appropriately as high up as you can get and at the edge of the upper circle. The Royal Scottish National Orchestra had its shofar player, Bob Farley, sitting high at the back with his long instrument extending over the players' heads.
Christopher Bell and Timothy Dean had prepared their respective choruses, the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, NYCoS National Girls Choir and the Royal Conservatoire Voices in their accustomed manner and it was the appropriately chosen Edward Gardner on the familiar RSNO conductor's podium.
Sung in English and easy to follow, we heard the chorus relate how Jesus had chosen twelve whom He named Apostles. Sophie Bevan was the Angel Gabriel and also Mary, and Karen Cargill was Mary Magdalene. Jacques Imbrailo was Jesus with three Apostles - Alan Clayton sung John's part, Marcus Farnsworth was Pater and John Relyea was Judas. It was Elgar's skill that we quickly knew that Jesus was the hero, whilst Judas was the odd man out as we were to learn at the Betrayal, which came at the start of Part II after the interval.
Through the Temple to Golgotha and The Ascension we heard the Easter story unfold factually, beautifully sung and played, and without undue or unnecessary emotion. But inspiring most certainly.
Performance: Sunday 14th August 2016 at 15:00