The Old Testament story of Judith, who saved the Israelites by seducing enemy general Holofernes and then hacking off his head, has inspired dozens of paintings, from Caravaggio’s amateur surgeon, frowning in concentration as she severs the jugular, to Klimt’s joyous, gold-plated temptress. Composers haven’t been so often or so memorably inspired, but if you have ever watched five minutes of Songs of Praise you’ll probably know the big tune of Hubert Parry’s 1888 oratorio Judith. The melody for the hymn Dear Lord and Father of Mankind was lifted from Parry’s score, where its original words are a potted version of Exodus, told to a group of angelic children who have no idea they have just been selected for human sacrifice.
Despite the attractions of its gory storyline, Judith never gained a permanent place in the choral-society repertoire. Billed as the work’s first full London performance since 1889 and its first hearing in the UK for at least half a century, this revival by conductor William Vann and his London English Song festival showed Judith to be a stepping stone between the choral works of Mendelssohn and Elgar, its longueurs outweighed by its strengths: relishable melodies, dynamic choral writing and full-blown climactic passages that revel in the kind of booming organ one would hope for from the composer of Jerusalem and I Was Glad. At its heart was a valiant performance from the Crouch End Festival Chorus, supported by a notably excellent children’s choir, a dozen strong, their scene opening with a lovely solo from Lydia South. The London Mozart Players sounded sumptuous if a little stodgy; there was room for a little more freedom here.
Sarah Fox sang the heroine with an aptly and beautifully resolute soprano. Toby Spence was vacillating King Manasseh, his reflective aria like something out of a Bach Passion. As the queen, Kathryn Rudge made emollient work of the big tune, and Henry Waddington brought gravitas to the Priest and the Messenger. Perhaps, once these forces have released their upcoming studio recording, Parry’s Judith might begin to get the occasional performances it deserves.
