The Belhaven College Choir, directed by Christopher Shelt, and organist
Jeff McLelland at Northminster Baptist Church, March 7, 2008 (AGO 22nd
Annual Choral-Organ Festival).
The choir opened the program with Franz Joseph's Haydn's "Lord Nelson
Mass", in a performance which I can only describe as electrifying.
The level of polish was impressive, and the choir's vitality appeared
to be inexhaustible. Further, the balance between parts, and especially
among the choir, the soloists, the organ, and the 11 instrumentalists was
near perfect. There were many soloists, and I could hear each of them.
Partly, of course, this is due to Haydn's expertise - remember, this work
came after his masterpiece "The Creation", so he clearly had developed the
requisite skills. The passages for the soloists, for example, had much
softer accompaniments, but even in the most powerful passages the
instruments never overpowered the choir. The lion's share of the credit,
of course, belongs to Chris Shelt, who made all this happen.
Jeff McLelland began the second part of the program, an organ recital,
with Buxtehude's 'Praeludium in E Major' BuxWV 141. This piece consisted
of several different sections in contrasting style, including a gig,
and in this regard was reminescent of Buxtehude's extended work on
"Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern" (How lovely shines the morning
star"). Bruce Neswick's 'Fantasia on "Adeste Fideles"' followed with a
variety of treatments of the theme. Next was Herbert Howell's 'Master
Tallis' Testament', which built to a fortissimo, and then suddenly
ended pianissimo. These were played with feeling. The first three
movements of Mendelssohn's 'Sonata IV' in Bb Major followed, and in
place of the 4th movement, McLelland played Guilmant's 'March on a
on a Theme by Handel'. The theme was the first four notes of Handel's
Messiah chorus "Lift Up Your Heads". Guilmant made from these four
notes a beautiful and dignified march, which I have occasionally
used as a wedding processional. At the end of the march, one might
use the old aphorism "and then the fun began", for there followed a
wild fugue - in this case played wildly and marvelously - that
eventually ended in a very big reprise of the march. This piece is
not played often; indeed I had not heard the fugue played live before,
and only once in an obscure recording. But in McLelland's hands
(and feet) it topped off an exciting evening most appropriately.
I thank Director Shelt, the choir, the instrumentalists, and Jeff
McLelland for an unforgettable evening.
- Glenn A. Gentry