Although The Dream of Gerontius may be an unlikely focus of Bennett's play The Choral, this work scarcely requires a increase in recognition. Gardner's lively latest album is one of several released in the last two years, with an additional one due early next year.
Captured live at the BBC Proms in 2022, this energetic performance has a great deal going for it. Clayton captures the feverish essence of the dying man whose each feeling is both a fear and a fascination. Clayton's heroic tone excites in the great hymn, Holy and Strong, while an expressive handling of text highlights the thought-provoking dialogue section in the second part. Jamie Barton's luxurious voice possesses a tangible immediacy as well as providing ample reserves of solace. James Platt's craggy bass is well-suited to the angel character.
Gardner is intensely dramatic, expressing the story with an almost opera-like boldness. The LPO plays as if a group of demons was at its heels, matched by the combined efforts of the LPO and Hallé choruses. Here and there, the sound environment robs the performance of the last bit of immediacy, but overall it's a excellent achievement to rank with Nicholas Collon's arresting from Finland version issued earlier this year.
