Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra delivers rousing finale to 2025 Newbury Spring Festival

Newbury Spring Festival: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra: Missa Solemnis

at St Nicolas’ Church, Newbury

on Saturday, May 24

Review by TONY TRIGWELL-JONES

BEETHOVEN’S spiritual masterpiece, the Solemn Mass (first performed in 1824), was originally intended for the composer’s patron on the occasion of his appointment to Archbishop of Olmütz. Solemn not to suggest sadness, but to indicate dignity and importance, the term is used to differentiate this type of ‘high mass’ from the ‘Mass Ordinary’.

Beethoven delayed the release of the work because, in his efforts to capture the majesty of spiritual enlightenment, it had grown beyond what he had initially conceived and therefore beyond its intended purpose. Being large in scale and technically demanding for vocalists and orchestra alike, the Missa Solemnis is considered among the most challenging major works in the standard repertoire and is therefore less frequently performed.

What better way then, could there be to close a magnificent two-week celebration of international music, than to experience this opus in the majestic setting of St Nicolas Church?

The narrative window at the back of the sacristy depicting the crucifixion was gently lit by the setting sun, providing the backdrop to what would prove to be a profound experience, thanks to the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Newbury Spring Festival Chorus.

The complete work is around 90 minutes in length and follows the five sections of a traditional Latin mass.

This evening the Spring Festival organisers divided this into two parts, with a short interval between the second (Gloria) and third (Credo). It opened with Kyrie, a call for the Lord’s mercy, while also introducing us to the broad sections of the orchestra, choir and four soloists.

In the Gloria, a celebration of all things heavenly, Beethoven’s richly complex composition demands stirring crescendos, moments of quiet reflection, of kindness, care and panic, created in the intricate coming together of strings, brass, percussion, woodwind and voice – navigated expertly by conductor Tom Primrose who embodied the character, rhythm and timing of the entire work.

The Credo explores the purpose of the life of Christ, so offering the most reflective parts of evening, particularly at “passus et sepultus est” (He suffered and was buried), when the wall of sound dropped to just a handful of violins and cello, a haunting pause that became the turning point of that particular movement.

Between Sanctus Benedictus and Agnes Dei, each of the four soloists delivered stand-out performances.

Bass William Thomas showed effortlessness and warmth; tenor Elgan Llyr Thomas spent much of the performance fully absorbed in the music, delivering his parts with character and passion. On the opposite side of the platform, Katie Bray (mezzo-soprano) performed with perfect composure and poise throughout; while Rachel Nicols, who stood in for Sophie Bevan, exuded such calm compassion that she may as well have been rehearsing with the orchestra for weeks!

It was also in the latter movements that first violinist Mark Derudder performed his most notable flourishes during the hosannas.

The Spring Festival Chorus (currently under conductor Tom Primrose’s mentorship) showed extraordinary discipline as a community ensemble. The full range of their voices proving a powerful instrument driving many of the more dramatic moments of the work.

When he completed the composition in 1823, Beethoven inscribed the score with the words “from the heart: may it go to the heart”. With that being the aim of performing this difficult work, the evening could not have been more successful – everyone performed completely immersed, entirely focussed and utterly passionate.

In return, the evening was extraordinarily moving, rousing and thought-provoking for its audience.

A very special ending to the Newbury Spring Festival 2025.