It has taken 269 years for the Queen of Sheba to arrive in Perth. Soprano Sara Macliver ensured her entrance was suitably grand, processing with regality down the aisle of the Perth Concert Hall in a bejewelled dress while the Orchestra of St George performed Handel’s sparkling Sinfonia.

Thanks to Joseph Nolan and the St George’s Cathedral Consort Perth audiences were able to hear Handel’s Solomon performed in their home town on Saturday night. The much-anticipated concert was performed in the Perth Concert Hall to accommodate the 900-strong audience which wouldn’t have fitted in St George’s Cathedral.

The performance was a welcome alternative to Messiah which is heard with great regularity in Perth and provided an opportunity to hear some of Handel’s most exquisite choruses performed by one of the finest choirs in the nation.

I had high expectations and I wasn’t disappointed; Nolan and his ensemble nailed it again. Two things always strike me about Nolan’s conducting: his unerring rhythmic poise and the ferocity of his dramatic intent. It is the perfect combination for Handel’s music. Under his direction the choir delivered Handel’s complex eight-part counterpoint writing with impeccable precision and clear diction. Highlights included the harmonically crunchy cadences in Throughout...