Elgar’s unjustly neglected ‘greatest choral masterpiece’ (Jeremy Dibble) is given an outstanding new recording by conductor David Temple, Crouch End Festival Chorus, London Mozart Players, and soloists Francesca Chiejina, Dame Sarah Connolly, Benjamin Hulett and Ashley Riches.
Composed in 1906 after The Dream of Gerontius and The Apostles, The Kingdom depicts the lives of Christ’s disciples and the community of the early church with a mixture of gentle conversational sections and astonishing dramatic passages. Recorded in the recently restored Victorian Theatre at Alexandra Palace, its fluid musical narrative is both arresting and profoundly moving.
Echoing Sir Adrian Boult, David Temple considers the oratorio to be Elgar’s pinnacle achievement. ‘I truly believe The Kingdom to be Elgar’s greatest choral work. It is a gem from the first note to the last.’
EDITORS CHOICE – GRAMOPHONE
★★★★★ – Choir and Organ
★★★★ – BBC Music Magazine
★★★★★ – Mail on Sunday – “Everything about this recording is outstanding. The sound, under veteran Mike Hatch, is brilliantly vivid. The singing of the chorus that the self-taught Temple founded 40 years ago is truly exceptional.”
“A very fine large-scale piece, given a most persuasive and sympathetic recording … Temple gets them to sing with passion and guts, but never at the expense of a very fine sound and the kind of flawless intonation that is hard to achieve with an ensemble of this size.” – The Arts Desk
“The music, both solemn and triumphant, projects an aura of divinity over the mission of Christ, and elevates the listener to a dimension of sacredness and reverence.” – Sonograma
“Indispensable” – The Elgar Society