A distinctive Berlioz

Press, 7 December 1981, Page 6

A distinctive Berlioz

Berlioz, "The Childhood of Christ,” performed by the Christchurch Harmonic Society with soloists Anne Price, Roger Wilson, Anthony Benfell, Bruce Carson, and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Childs. At the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, on Saturday, December 5. Reviewed by Allan Francis. Even before the first chord heralded the vivid descriptive scenes of Berlioz’s touching account of the young Christ and the flight into Egypt, there was a sense of occasion in the Cathedral — an occasion where one expected a definitive reading of the composer’s only oratorio. Anthony Benfell and Roger Wilson set the pattern of expectancy and the ominous portents of disaster on equal terms with the power of Berlioz to register such atmosphere with his evocative orchestration. As King Herod, Bruce Carson gave a well defined

performance of a man torn by the irreconcilables in his character, not yet an infanticide monster. By the end of scene four the full power of Mr Carson's rich, bass voice registered with great strength and conviction the savagery of the King's ultifhate intentions. In marked contrast, the ensuing scene with Joseph and Mary was given sympathetic . understanding by Roger Wilson and Anne Price, particularly the gentle simplicity of Miss Price’s masterly control of her resources. The C.S.O. played well, especially in the woodwind and brass, but there was some uncertainty in the strings, a fault not evident in the orchestra’s last perform-' ance as a chamber group. David Childs handled the Flight into Egypt beautifully, without over-dramatising the event. The woodwind were particularly eloquent with just the right amount of reediness

for the pastoral convention. After the frustrations of the pilgrimage, the chamber music section for two flutes and piano was charmingly played, in spite of the fact that Berlioz intended the third instrument to be a harp. At this point. Mr Carson exchanged his Herod cloak for that of the benevolent host, a transition mastered with ease. On the grounds of pure sound, the Harmonic Choir was a delight, with nearperfect balance and superb articulation both as Soothsayers and later in the Chorus of Ishmaelites. The pitching and timing were admirable. Berlioz brought in a few heady whiffs of the “Damnation of Faust” and his “Symphony Fantastique” and a few reminders of his other works, but it was nevertheless a distinctive work of great charm and delicacy, ably performed by the combined forces of the Harmonic Society.