Yesterday's Kennedy Center concert by the Choral Arts Society of
Washington, DC turned out to be revelatory.  By the time they had finished
'Spring' from Haydn's 'Die Jahrezeiten', I was ambivalent about the
afternoon -- nothing actually wrong with the performance, it just didn't
show me any 'spark.'

How different in the second half!  A truly fabulous rendition of Vaughan
Williams' first real foray into symphonic form.  I have always thought that
true success in this symphony depends on careful control of the enormous
contrasts in dynamic range for both orchestra and chorus.  Though the
chorus took a little longer than conductor Scribner wanted to quieten down
on occasion, the orchestra rose to the challenge magnificently.  And the
whole ensemble was majestic when the music called for it, and reflective
when it called for that.  A truly memorable performance, I felt.

On arriving home I discover (horror) that the RVW does not feature in my
collection -- which I shall put right directly!  I would be interested
in Listers recommended recordings -- especially those with big enough
orchestral and choral forces to truly do the symphony justice.

Tim Mahon
Alexandria, VA
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