And what a superb recording – performance, rather (for it was recorded live) – it is. There is a very great deal to commend it, not least the fact that it exists at all. First, the soloists. They are a fine team. I like very much the soprano, Anna Lease, who is as clear as a bell, just right for the voice of The Blessed Virgin. The Tenor, Andrew Staples, has a fine, lyrical voice both as the narrator and as the apostle John. There is just the occasional hint of a frog in the throat (Figure 36), but he is particularly well matched with Anna Lease in “The sword hath pierced mine own soul”. Louise Poole (Mary Magdalene) has a dramatic rôle and whilst I might prefer a contralto voice for this part (as designated by Elgar), her mezzo-soprano voice has depth and richness. I particularly like her singing in the vignette, “Hearken, O Daughter”. Colin Campbell (Peter) is authoritative right from his first entry whilst Robert Rice, the hero of the hour as the replacement Judas, has a slight wobble to his voice, audible at his entry after Figure 151. It could be nerves – or adrenalin - but it is not obtrusive. It certainly makes him appear as a very troubled spirit – apt for the part. At least he sounds involved in his fate while singing “My punishment is greater than I can bare”. There is, remarkably, only one bar where he seems to come a slightly unstuck (the third bar of Figure 183, where the orchestra has to wait for him to get to the end of the bar). In contrast, his singing of the phrase “ . . . yet am I unto myself more grievous than the darkness” is masterly in its observation – and interpretation – of Elgar’s notes and markings. Roderick Williams, as Jesus, sings his rôle perfectly. He is one of our most intelligent and cultured baritones and has a beautiful and rich, velvety voice. His enunciation of the Beatitudes lets the music speak for itself – art concealing art, whilst his voice sounds effortless over the whole range.

The singers of Canterbury Choral Society are completely in command of their brief and produce a wonderful range of vocal sounds and textures, opulent in the sonorous passages and telling in the quiet ones. Their diction is clear and their overall sound pleasing and well-coached. The Girls of the Crypt and Chamber Choirs of the King’s School, Canterbury and the Canterbury Cathedral Choristers, all conducted by David Flood off-stage, take the parts of the Angels and the Chorus In Heaven and impart a youthful edge to these passages. I must say, I do like the way they sing here. An added attraction is the sense of distance in their part of the performance. Good use is made here of the Cathedral’s architecture – as is done with the ‘off-stage’ Oboe and Cor Anglais players in the Mountain scene near the start of Part 1.

The orchestral playing, by the Philharmonia Orchestra, is, as one might expect, excellent. There are very few slips: just a little lack of ensemble at the allargando two bars before Figure 28 and at the second bar of Figure 117.

I know that it was Richard Cooke’s stated intention to take all the music at Elgar’s speeds. He doesn’t, of course – at least not all of them. His speeds are good, which means that he does not hang about, but they are not always exactly Elgar’s. For instance, the first climax of the piece, at Figure 35 onwards, is taken at about 54 crotchets per minute as against Elgar’s metronome mark of 80. But it is a tremendous performance of this passage and I for one do not mind the slower speed. More in line with his intentions, at Figure 49 onwards, he makes the music move forward at a good pace instead of dragging as in other performances I have heard, so that the relaxation at the end of the movement does not descend into immobility and “Turn you to the stronghold” is spot on at 88 crotchets per minute as Elgar marked. Cooke refuses even to think of letting it drag here. Because the general intention is right, this performance has a vitality and urgency about it, which sets the more contemplative passages in context. Cooke has the measure both of its overall architecture and of its detail: he can see both the wood and the trees. A minute example of the latter concerns the singers’ observation of the staccato dots on some notes. These are often ignored. In this performance they are observed by soloists and chorus alike – not all of them are, but a great many.

There is very little off-stage coughing – just a negligible amount at the start of the Dawn scene (perhaps they were just waking up) and nowhere is it obtrusive. You would almost not believe that it was a live performance in January. The CD/Cathedral acoustic is excellent: it has depth and sonority, whilst not being muffled The balance is admirable. Everybody – soloists, chorus and orchestra – can be heard clearly.

It is not my brief here to discuss the textual and musical merits of The Apostles. I know that some people have problems with the work. Its complicated text and its very individual music style, which contains a plethora of pedal points, false relations, chromaticisms, mystical harmonies and scoring and late Romantic/Wagnerian procedures, have a very special appeal. On a recent weekend course on "The Apostles" and "The Kingdom", which I tutored, only 50% of the students (all but one of them members of The Elgar Society) had heard a live performance of the work. Suffice it to say that, if you are not yet persuaded that it is one of Elgar’s greatest works, or even –like me – the greatest, then this is a good CD set with which to acquaint yourself with the work.

The booklet included with the CD gives the briefest of introductions to the work and a miniscule outline of the Prologue and the seven constituent sections. It then sets out the complete text and ends with a paragraph about Canterbury Choral Society and Richard Cooke. A final one-liner states that “The Philharmonia Orchestra is acknowledged as one of the world’s great orchestras. www.philharmonia.co.uk” Obviously, if you want to know more, you will log on to the web site. Likewise, Elgarians will have access to much material about "The Apostles", though I hope they will not be fooled by any of the misjudged writings of a certain Michael Foster.

Finally, as a member of the ‘Elgar in Performance’ group which sponsored this performance of The Apostles, I am proud to have been associated indirectly with this recording. As the Chairman of our group has been heard to say more than once at the end of a performance we have sponsored, “Money well spent”! I recommend the set to you.

Paul Adrian Rooke
International Co-ordinator
The Elgar Society
June 2006