Harry Bicket directed this very fine ensemble of instrumentalists and an esteemed cast of singers: Danielle De Niese (Soprano), Lucy Crowe (Soprano), Lawrence Zazzo (Countertenor), Hugo Hymas (Tenor), and Brindley Sherratt (Bass).

It was refreshing and fulfilling to perform and record the entire oratorio in sequence, as if an audience was present. Working in this way captured the atmosphere of a live performance and brought a heightened sense of concentration; everybody seemed to be suitably immersed and ‘in the zone’. I was pleased to reacquaint myself with some pre-pandemic subsidiary live performance skills, such as the minutiae of stagecraft - i.e. knowing exactly when to enter and leave the stage to appear and depart in a timely, concise and confident-yet-sensitive manner before and after each entry. It was also a welcome challenge to quickly learn the cues within an unfamiliar (to me) oratorio. These sorts of skills are certainly analogous to muscles that can atrophy if underused.

It was great to be a part of this small but perfectly-formed wind and brass section within this world-class ensemble: Katharina Spreckelsen (oboe & recorder), Hannah McLaughlin (oboe & recorder), Joe Qui (bassoon), Russell Gilmour (trumpet) and William Russell (trumpet). Particular instrumental highlights came from Joe Crouch (cello) and from the duet between Emilia Benjamin (viola da gamba, who also doubled on violin for much of the rest of the oratorio) and Tuomo Suni (lead violin). The entire performance will be shown on television in the near future.