Author: Kenneth Woods

Handel’s Messiah is a musical edifice of religious exegesis, built from notes and faith; so where better to hear a full rendition than Malvern Priory?

After all, the Priory is also a testament to rock-solid belief, and it was already 600 years old by the time of Handel. Both Handel and the Priory’s medieval builders, however, were secure in their beliefs. The building and the work complement each other; but how far can the work travel in a more secular age? Pretty far, is the answer, judging by the response of the audience and thanks, in no small part, to the excellence of the English Symphony Orchestra, the Academia Musica choir and the soloists.

David Matthews’s music is neo-tonal and unmistakably British. It is immaculately crafted and fresh, the composer having rejected the modernism he grew up with, replacing it with a postmodern language of sincerity and musicality.
His Symphony 9 (2016) is based on a simple tune by his wife, which introduces the proceedings and is then fragmented and developed. II is a wild scherzo, III a lyrical slow movement with beautiful harmonic vision; bird song appears about halfway through. IV is a dance, which leads to V’s dreamy haze, followed by development of fragments of the tune, stormy drama, a transcendent return of the tune, and eventual triumph. This is entirely convincing and should please anyone interested in recent British symphonic writing.