Mendelssohn's Elijah: musicians review the Prom and recording
Mendelssohn's Elijah 'Holy is God the Lord', Proms 2011, BBC Radio 3 broadcast:
Catherine Martin, leader:
“I have to admit that my first reaction to the news that we were going to play Elijah was 'I didn't go into early music to play in a symphony orchestra!' I am used to sitting in a section of 2, or 4, or 6, where I can hear myself and everyone else play, and where each player makes a personal contribution to the sound of the section. A first violin section of 26? No way!
We had months of decision making before the first rehearsal: what instruments would we play on, what stringing did they use at that time, should we use chin rests; the list went on and on. In Mendelssohn's time, as now, there were several schools of thought and ways of playing. We had to decide on a 'house style' so that we would all approach the music in the same way.
I thought the first rehearsal, which was with the 'small' orchestra doing the arias, was amazing for its depth of sound. Nothing could have prepared me for the full orchestra together with the chorus. Yet I never felt swamped by the sheer volume of sound because the textures worked so beautifully on historical instruments. I also felt immensely proud of the step-out soloists from the Gabrieli choir, whose double quartet was, for me, one of the highlights of the performance.
It was a great privilege to be part of such a unique project, and I can honestly say that I enjoyed every minute.”
Katy Bircher, flute player:
“I have performed Mendelssohn’s Elijah a number of times, even with large forces, but nothing could quite prepare me for the sheer scale of the Gabrieli’s enterprise.
Finding one’s seat at the first full rehearsal was a challenge, not to mention the complicated logistics of going to the loo AND getting a cup of tea in the break (much forward planning needed within the sections), but once we were involved in the music making, the sense of excitement was palpable. To be part of such a massive sound was an overwhelming and unforgettable experience.
For such a vast set up, I was surprised at what a flexible beast we became. The choir were amazing in their ability to sing with such precision, clarity and ensemble, and the orchestra went from full scale roaring – with winds, brass, ophicleides and kitchen sinks – to whispering and shimmering accompaniments at the flick of a baton. It really was a priviliege to sit amongst such high class colleagues.
There were many wonderful moments from all quarters (sitting in front of the superb clarinets and bassoons often felt like the best seat in the house), but I don’t think I shall ever forget the unaccompanied trio ‘Lift thine Eyes’, sung by the Gabrieli Consort’s Susan Gilmour Bailey, Emily Rowley Jones and Lucy Ballard. The atmosphere in the Albert Hall was incredible and Mendelssohn’s musical and dramatic genius was captured perfectly by this amazing moment.
Due to flight restrictions in late pregnancy, I travelled to and from the concerts in Leipzig and Wroclaw by train, accomanied by top touring companion, fine friend, principal viola and all round heroic Rachel Byrt. This fitted perfectly with the large scale context of this project and I feel in all sorts of ways that I have really ‘gone the distance’ with Mendelssohn’s Elijah. I shall stop just short of suggesting Elijah, Ahab or Bayl as baby names, though the thought did vaguely cross my mind at times…”
Sophie Goldrick, Alto:
“What a remarkable few weeks I spent joining the Gabrieli Consort for the first time to perform something as majestic as Mendelssohn’s Elijah! The first rehearsals were had me amongst some of the 180 young singers from across the UK who were assembled for the first leg of the project. All the young altos around me were so enthusiastic about the music and the chance to show what they could do it was utterly contagious! Between the spirited chorus, the brilliant soloists and the expanded orchestral forces of the Gabrieli Players, the evening spent in the Royal Albert Hall was truly moving and life affirming in the best possible way. Especially as I was lucky enough to be seated right next to the Contrabass Ophicleide, I was really IN the drama!!
Returning to sing Elijah in Leipzig and Wroclaw set the challenge to match the Royal Albert Hall concert in intensity without the same forces. Paul McCreesh never lost focus on the needs of the drama and insisted on it at every moment. We really invested in the character of the chorus and during the final concert it seemed we very well might jump from the rostra and chase Elijah through Wroclaw’s main square at The Queen’s behest!
Aside from the music making, it was also tremendous to meet and sing with such wonderful artists from Poland, Britain and more besides. We had some beautiful weather in which to stroll through Wroclaw and take in the sights (and sample the cake!) What a vibrant and attractive city it is! The whole experience was a really special one for me, and one I won’t soon forget.”
Julian Smith, tenor:
“Working on the recent Gabrieli Elijah project was, for me, a tremendous experience - from hearing the captivating sound of the serpents, the impressive force of the ophicleide, the throng of the orchestra, to the mind blowing sound of the full chorus singing the opening 'Help Lord'.
What made the 'Prom patch' of the project stand out for me was working alongside the youth choirs. I sat next to two young tenors from the Taplow Youth Choir. They were both keen, well prepared and full of admiration and inspiration to be working with so many professional singers and players. It was personally rewarding to be able to offer advice and assistance to these young singers during the rehearsal period, and to hear the fantastic result achieved in the Albert Hall performance and subsequent recording.”
Oliver Butler, tenor:
"A trio of firsts; my first Gabrielli experience, my first Elijah and my first performance at the Royal Albert Hall. What a special occasion! What made it even more memorable was that I shared the experience with our friends from the Youth Choirs and the Wroclaw Philharmonic Choir. The sheer size of the choir and indeed orchestra (although I’m sure proved a tough task for Paul) helped create a truly overwhelming sound. So much so that people in the audience I spoke to afterwards recollected being physically stunned at the opening cry of ‘Help Lord’! I’m sure the Youth Choirs learnt a great deal from not only the performance but the rehearsals before and recordings after which made for such an unforgettable event."
Phil Humphries, serpent player:
“Being involved with the Elijah Prom and the subsequent CD recording was an amazing experience for us serpent players. The serpent was invented by a French monk in 1590 to support and strengthen chanting male voices in French churches. Over the centuries it was used in orchestras, harmonie ensembles and military bands. There is evidence, that during the 19th century, The Sacred Harmonic Society used serpents to play in unison with the bass singers of the chorus when performing oratorio. The Prom re-creation of the 1846-47 Elijah performances revived this 19th century tradition. Nick Perry, Carl Woodcroft and myself used instruments from the period. All were English military serpents and included an unmarked 19th century original, a William Milhouse (1801) and a Francis Pretty (1840).
The serpent by its nature is an extremely difficult instrument to play. The design and spacing of the finger holes causes all manner of acoustical problems, and no two serpent makers ever agreed on a fingering chart. With this in mind we decided that we would meet prior to the first rehearsal to get the “instruments” acquainted to one another, and I am pleased to say that they were instant friends.
The main thing we noticed working in the large setting was how the serpent came to life whilst blending with and doubling the male voices, taking the instrument back to its roots. Thank you so much to Paul McCreesh for his thorough research and offering us the opportunity to be included in this wonderful work, an experience which will never be forgotten.”
Carl Woodcroft, serpent player:
"The Elijah project this summer was one of the best musical experiences that anyone present for it will possibly ever have.
As one of the three Serpent players, I was lucky enough to have one of the best seats in the house, with the three of us playing in unison with the basses of the chorus throughout the work.
Sat high in our 'crow's nest' (or serpent's nest) at the first rehearsal in Watford and throughout the project, we peered down at the massive forces used by Mendelssohn for this great work. As if 3 Serpents and 2 Ophicleides weren't enough for rare instrument enthusiasts and performers alike, the sight of the third 'Monster' Ophicleide being unleashed from the 12ft case that it had travelled in from America made us instantly smile and realise that the next days ahead were going to be brilliant fun.
We were not disappointed when in the first chorus of the first rehearsal we soon realised that at many points, the ophicleide players below, (enforced heavily by Tony George beneath us on the 'Monster') and us up high were exchanging rhythmic themes and musical ideas from our parts just as football fans exchange songs from one end of the stadium to another before kick off.
To our right we could see the vast chorus which at top volume sounded more like 1000 singers compared to the actual number present. What struck me most about the chorus was the very pure, precise sound quality produced for such young voices, the best example of this being in The Albert Hall Prom on the Sunday. Not once did I hear a 'worble' from the female voices, a sound that ruins many an oratorio, both professionally produced and in amateur venues alike. With so many young singers and fascinating instruments on display, not to mention the sheer scale of the project and the work involved, it was just a shame that the BBC decided that Elijah wasn't worth putting on TV.
It was also great to see and hear that even in 2011 the Serpent is still able to perform in landmark European (if not global) musical events. Although the instrument originates from c.1590 where it was used to blend with and strengthen the sound of French church choirs, we all felt very up to date with us using very high-tech versions dating from 1800 (mine was kindly loaned to me by the Bate Collection, Oxford University) to the 1860s!
The Prom itself was an amazing event just for the singing alone. From the very young and very brave Jonty Ward performing in front of a sold out Albert Hall, Simon Keenlyside singing as Elijah with the most precision and power I've ever heard in a baritone singing live, to the soloists within the chorus who also excelled, the standard was superb throughout. Taking up the most space were of course the orchestra and chorus. The size of these combined forces is best shown by a BBC photo of the Prom, where even as a landscape long-shot filled with hundreds of small figures, only half of the Albert Hall platform and one choir stall is in shot.
Luckily for everyone, the fun didn't stop after the prom and a few days of recording back in Watford meant that the project came full circle. The last day of recording was the first time I've been sad to play a last note of a piece but all good things come to an end. The Serpent I used is now back in Oxford behind a glass cabinet, but this time there is a Gabrieli Consort & Players prom programme nearby. Thank you to all involved for making the whole project very memorable- looking forward to the launch of the CD next year!"
Click here to read more about the Serpents
Anthony George, monstre ophicleide:
"One of the big attractions of performing with a group like the Gabrieli is that concerts are never routine. The fact that we were performing on instruments from the birth of low brass serpents and ophicleides rather than more modern tubas - means that we have to tease and temper every note. Add to that the knowledge that the instrument I was performing on, the contrabass ophicleide, is the only playable one in the world and you have some idea of the extraordinary lengths that Paul McCreesh and the management of the Gabrieli went to in order that the Proms concert was as close as possible to the grand spectacle of the first performance of Elijah back in 1846.
Yet this was only part of what made the concert such a remarkable event. I’ve performed and recorded Elijah with both modern and period orchestras all over the world - in some of the world’s great concert halls - and there’s no doubt that the Proms performance will live on in my mind far longer that any of the others.
Not because of the contrabass ophicleide, not because of the fabulous soloists, nor of the near capacity audience filling the Albert Hall. No, ultimately what made this concert so unique was that everyone on stage, from the very back of the mammoth choir to the front desks of the strings, was drawn into Paul’s vision of the music.
It was almost as if Elijah himself was standing conducting us, demanding the precision in the words, balancing the delicate woodwind chords, encouraging the whole orchestra to play as one and raise the roof of the Albert Hall with the final massive D major chord. No wonder the crowd went wild at the end, we all knew that this was a special performance and without doubt one of the most enjoyable of my career so far. If the recording captures even a small part of the magic of our proms performance then it will be a fabulous addition to anyone’s collection.”
Richard Bayliss, horn player:
“The words 'Mendelsshon's Elijah' have always worried me. For many years I had elected not to perform it if asked, as I felt it was dreary, long and extremely boring. It turns out that these sentiments were solely born from a handful of very poor performances. Following the Gabrieli Prom, recording and trip to Germany & Poland, my opinion of the work and indeed the composer himself has increased immeasurably. I think it is possibly one of the most creative and awe inspiring choral works I have ever performed in . Of course the huge forces involved in the bulk of the project added to the occassion, and created a sound that was both magnificent and yet very controlled - nothing ever seemed too overpowering, and for a brass player, it is of course a great pleasure when you are able to let go and play at the very loudest dynamics without obliterating the string section - (no danger of that with the army of them we had infront of us)! We also had quite an army behind us - the combination of the choirs made for a stunning chorus, and certainly send shivers up the spine in some of the choruses (notably 'Thanks be to God' at the end of part one - I still have ringing ears from that one!).
The highlight for me however was not the vast array of musicians on the stage, it was the solo members of the Gabrieli choir, who from where I was sat in the Royal Albert Hall, did sound like angels. In complete contrast to the full might of the orchestra & choir, the solo singers managed to create such a pure and considered sound, you almost felt you were part of a very select chamber concert.
I hugely look forward to hearing the recording, as I'm sure much of the live concert excitement will have been captured, and although I never thought I'd say it - I really look forward to the next time I get asked to play Mendelssohn's Elijah!”
Rachel Byrt, principal viola:
"The choir, the choir, the choir. I had never heard anything like it – it was completely exhilarating to hear this beautiful music sung so perfectly, unanimously and passionately, by the combined forces of the Gabrieli Consort, Wroclaw Philharmonic Choir, Chetham’s Chamber Choir, North East Youth Chorale, Taplow Youth Choir and the Ulster Youth Choir. Huge praise must go to Paul McCreesh and the respective chorus masters for fusing these energies to produce this magnificent result.
The core instrumentalists of the Gabrieli Players were equally thrilled to be joined by so many new faces and expert players. Such elegance from the wind sections and from my particular favourites the three ophicleides and three serpents, lending an ethereal glow to the bass-line, whilst the expanded string sections - 46 violins, 20 violas, 16 cellos and 10 double basses – working as one giant string quintet from the first rehearsal day. I hope the “safety in numbers” security blanket will get another airing!
Yet again, Paul has created a wonderful memory for all those who took part – and for those who listened to and watched the Prom. I am looking forward to the release of the recording made in the superb, warm acoustic of the Watford Colosseum - one of the finest in the country – to relive the many happy days playing this (oft-overrun) repertoire with such care and attention to detail."
Christopher Suckling, cello:
"One of the many distinguishing features of the Gabrieli Players is their unique approach to string technique and the resulting timbre. The Elijah project presented the significant challenge of scaling this sound up to the massive string section employed by Mendelssohn. Many musicians spent several months working on their instruments, searching for a balance of strings or recreating chinrests in preparation for the project. Certain historical practices were afforded greater weight than others - it was felt, for example, that it was no longer necessary to protect the decorum of the ladies of the cello section by requesting that they play side saddle! The results of this preliminary work were evident from the first rehearsal. The searing tone of almost fifty violins as they surged in thirds towards the first, terrifying choral entry was a visceral experience. Those of us who had also been involved in the Creation recording - the previous big string project - could only marvel at the development of the orchestra in the last five years."
Click here for more photos © Ben Ealovega