Review: Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, Leeds Town Hall on Saturday, June 11

BEETHOVEN'S supreme choral and orchestral masterpiece is of such monumental grandeur and profound spirituality that it invariably stands alone in a concert. Last Saturday's performance by Yorkshire Voices (the combined Harrogate Choral Society and Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir) with the Manchester Camerata, was a noteable departure from a time honoured practice. The organisers in their infinite wisdom decided to open the programme with Beethoven's Overture Leonora No 1. Even worse, the sublime flow of the Missa Solemnis was broken by the insertion of a twenty minutes-long drinks interval between the Gloria and Credo Sections.

These criticisms withstanding, there was much to admire in this insightful performance conducted by Andrew Padmore. Padmore's expertly trained choirs made light work of the lung-bursting sustained high passages and the sudden changes in rhythm, tempo and dynamics. Beethoven's wonderfully operatic writing for the vocal quartet was eloquently realised by soprano Sarah Fox, mezzo Melanie Marshall, tenor Ben Thapa and the bass David Soar. The richly detailed playing of the Manchester Camerata was at its most transparent in the Sanctus and Benedictus and in their accompaniment of the solo quartet. A string section built on just two double basses is however on the slender side for this piece. The (optional) part for the Town Hall's grand organ occasionally over-compensated by adding weight of sound at the expense of orchestral detail.

All things being equal, this must be judged an exceptional performance of one of the most challenging pieces in the choral repertory. Despite my earlier comments, it would be churlish to criticise the serenely beautiful encore: How Lovely is thy Dwelling Place from Brahms' German Requiem.

Geoffrey Mogridge