Proms 2024
Prom 6: Verdi’s Requiem
Under the baton of Ryan Bancroft, the principal conductor of BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and with the massed voices of the BBC National Chorus of Wales and the Crouch End Festival Chorus, Verdi’s Requiem proved as shocking as it is transcendental for a religious work.
Ryan Bancroft
Latonia Moore, Karen Cargill, SeokJong Baek and Solomon Howard
The fabulous American soprano Latonia Moore and Scottish mezzo Karen Cargill could have been on the operatic stage with passionate, drama-rich, performances which included at least one “making the sign of the cross” by Moore. If she did not believe every word that she sang she gave a fine impression of doing so. Cargill similarly seemed in rapture both with the intoxicating score she sang but the entire ethereal experience, from the chilling outburst of Dies irae or to the solemnity of the Sanctus. The two women singing together was as exquisite as the glory of the hundreds of choral voices.
South Korean SeokJong Baek and American Soloman Howard, were more restrained, more in the style of a concert, but this did nothing to diminish the elegance of Baek’s clear tenor and resonance of the bass from Howard.
The singing from the mass of choral voices was majestic as was the support they were given from the audience and add those four fine solo performances and a first-class Requiem was assured.
Images:
BBC/ Chris Christodolou