While The Dream of Gerontius could be an surprising star of Alan Bennett's play The Choral, the masterpiece scarcely needs a popularity boost. Gardner's lively new album is one of several issued in the past 24 months, with an additional one expected early next year.
Captured live at the 2022 BBC Proms, this energetic performance has a great deal in its favor. Clayton captures the febrile essence of the dying man whose every sensation is both a terror and a fascination. Clayton's heroic voice excites in the great hymn, Holy and Strong, while an expressive handling of lyrics highlights the thought-provoking dialogue section in Part Two. Jamie Barton's luxurious mezzo-soprano has a tangible immediacy as well as providing ample reserves of comfort. James Platt's craggy bass is ideally matched to the angel character.
Gardner is intensely dramatic, expressing the story with an almost operatic audacity. The LPO performs as if a chorus of demons was at its back, matched by the joint efforts of the LPO and Hallé choirs. Here and there, the acoustic robs the recording of the last bit of directness, but overall it's a fine achievement to rank alongside Nicholas Collon's gripping Finnish version issued in recent months.
