A real treat for Elgar fans, or any dreamers of dreams, despite difficult acoustic.

Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne

May 25, 2014

Sunday evening at the Melbourne Town Hall housed the gargantuan efforts of the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir, Melbourne University Choral Society and the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic who all joined forces to present an evening of English symphonic choral music to a welcoming audience.

The program opened with Elgar’s lustrous Sea Pictures. Commissioned by the Norwich Festival in the year 1898, the work was written for the voice of the young contralto Clara Butt and premiered the following year. With the exception of the second poem, each movement is based upon ‘dramatic monologue’ poetry, where the scene is set and then the narrator wistfully reflects on changes or memories of the landscape. Melbourne contralto Liane Keegan was a remarkable soloist, in possession of a rich, claret tone. Her rendition of the third and fifth movements (Sabbath Morning at Sea, The Swimmer), were particular highlights, showcasing her dynamic power and a vocal range that never sacrificed consistency or quality of tone.

The problematic acoustic of the Melbourne Town Hall though was evident from the beginning of Sea Pictures and never really resolved itself...