Israel in Egypt - Handel

The preponderance of choral music in Handel's Israel in Egypt was one of the features which proved a barrier to the work's success with the audiences of the composer's own time. And it's that very preponderance which today constitutes the major attraction for those choirs and choral societies brave enough to take on such an individual and demanding work.

Tallaght Choral Society's performance at the NCH on Sunday showed no wavering of commitment or resolve. But commitment, however necessary, is no guarantee of control. And, on this occasion, the control simply wasn't manifested with the requisite consistency. The major recurring flaw, and one which proved a serious barrier to enjoyment, was the fact that those voices which sounded loudest - among the sopranos in particular - weren't always those nearest in pitch to the desired note.

Grainne Gormley is a conductor with clear ideas. She really works at contrasts in mood, and pays attention to the orchestra in a way not to be taken for granted from choral directors. But all her good intentions didn't quite manage to lift the performance out of the sphere of influence of the fatally flawed choral contributions.

The line-up of soloists was drawn from the ranks of young singers, whose collective inexperience tended to show up in a tendency to hector without really communicating the sense of the words, and in the frequently uncentered pitching of shorter notes. Mezzo soprano Cliona McDonough conveyed the greatest impression of solidity.