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17th March, 2024 – Handel’s Belshazzar

After the financial collapse of his opera projects, Handel turned to oratorio as a pragmatic alternative. His oratorios harness his dramatic instincts with a focus on the chorus. This proved a model for many later composers, especially Haydn, Mendelssohn and Elgar.

Handel’s most popular oratorio, Messiah, is in some ways an anomaly, since it is meditative rather than dramatic. As with Messiah, conductors of Belshazzar have the unenviable task of deciding which numbers are to be cut in what would otherwise be three hours of music.

The energy of Handel’s score is wonderful, whether he is depicting a battle or a feast. But equally powerful are its moments of stillness and reflection. The works exploration of paternal and maternal grief is also striking.

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19th March, 2023 – Mozart’s Solemn Vespers & Haydn’s Requiem (Joint Concert with Paisley Philharmonic Choir)