Review of MacMillan’s Christmas Oratorio – A Magical Choral Performance | BBC Symphony Orchestra

MAll composers today keep a safe distance from the intimidating associations of “symphony,” “concerto,” and other venerable classical genres. Scottish composer James MacMillan is not among them. His vast catalog includes numerous symphonies, concertos and two Passions – St Luke and St John – as well as a Christmas oratorio, which premiered in 2021. J. S. Bach’s 1734 version has become a festive classic, but Macmillan’s piece is no homage: although 21st-century Christmas oratorios speak many musical languages, Bach’s piece is certainly not among them.

Instead, he moves from finely scored passages of chamber music to full climaxes for choir and orchestra, from sharp modernist percussion to smooth, almost British tones, from Renaissance imitative polyphony to the soaring scores of Hollywood films. “I get a lot of Harry Potter,” said one bemused friend during this period.

While parts of this take on a Christmas story seem disconcertingly innocuous, MacMillan’s choral writing requires considerable effort. In this performance conducted by the composer, the BBC Symphony Chorus was initially tentative. They were at their best in the weather on the unaccompanied and quieter sections where they displayed their excellent style and silky blend. The slow unfolding of the upper sounds of “O magnum mysterium” was particularly magical, floating above barely audible passages in the woodwinds and lower strings and the periodic pulse of muted brass.

The two soloists were a perfect match, with Roderick Williams’ warm, flexible baritone balanced by Ryan Lewis’ harder, tighter soprano. The latter provided a luminous paint in the wide-ranging ensembles, while Williams’ unparalleled ability to tell stories made his second song stand out, his oratorio a kind of wordless recitation, compelling amid fluttering-tongued flute, bursts of muted trumpet and a sprinkling of vibraphone.

There were many other moments of fleeting beauty and irresistible forward momentum from the BBC Symphony Orchestra: tinkling harp; Icy chain vibration. The orchestral strings are balanced to sound uncannily like an organ; A flash of what sounded like a Shostakovich performance at double speed, propelled by an unfamiliar high hat. Despite these pleasures, Macmillan’s Christmas Oration remains oddly shaped, and its ending strangely abrupt. But this was a deeply committed performance that left the large audience roaring with approval.