This centenary year of Charles Villiers Stanford’s death has inspired a re-evaluation of his work. Last month, his opera The Critic opened to great acclaim at Wexford Festival Opera. As his legacy has been reassessed, one truth has become increasingly clear to me: Stanford was a composer of remarkable intelligence and technical prowess, equally adept in both orchestral and choral writing, with a structural command that evokes comparison to Brahms. This evening's performance of his Requiem by the National Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, under the baton of Gerhard Markson, was a powerful reminder of Stanford’s mastery.
Stanford composed the work in tribute to his close friend, the artist Lord Leighton, whose death deeply affected him. The Requiem sets the traditional Catholic Mass for the Dead, a contentious choice for the devoutly Protestant composer at a time when Catholicism was still viewed with hostility in England. The work is conceived on a vast scale, which at times borders on the operatic. Yet, alongside its grandeur, it retains a remarkable intimacy, capturing the composer’s evident grief and religious consolation. The music blazes forth with moments of intense elegiac beauty, looking forward to eternal life even as it contemplates the sorrow of death.
Markson’s interpretation brought out the full range of these qualities, from the hushed, reverent opening of the Introit, where the orchestra seemed to hold its breath, to the choir’s soaring declaration of “et lux” (and light), punctuated by the dramatic presence of organ and brass. Markson's direction of the choir was exceptional, guiding the choir to a level of expressiveness that captures the essence of Stanford’s composition, expertly shaping the entire ensemble balance.
The quartet of soloists each brought their own distinct contribution to the performance. Soprano Máire Flavin offered a voice of impressive power, effortlessly handling the climaxes. At times, however, her wide vibrato made the clarity of the Latin text difficult to discern, but her emotional commitment more than compensated. Sharon Carty’s mezzo initially seemed overshadowed by the other soloists, but as the work progressed, her voice blossomed, particularly in the Benedictus, where she imbued her line with a sweetness and poignant depth.
Tenor James Way delivered the Lux aeterna of the Agnus Dei with a silky smooth lyricism, his voice blending beautifully with bass John Molloy, whose delicate phrasing in the Sanctus added an ethereal quality to the proceedings.
The NSC delivered a performance marked by beauty of tone and intonation throughout. However if one were to single out specific highlights it would be the Dies irae, the longest and most dramatic movement. This took centre stage here and the NSC imbued it with a theatrical grandeur, bringing it to an emotional boiling point. Noteworthy too was the Sanctus, the work’s penultimate movement, where the NSC achieved a delicate balance of intimacy and breadth; a poetic reverie underpinned by moments of thrilling drama. The final Agnus Dei, with its surging orchestral undercurrent, crescendoed to a radiant and resplendent Lux aeterna, as Markson enveloped the closing moments in a warm, glowing conclusion.
As tonight’s performance shows, Stanford's Requiem deserves its place in the canon, no longer neglected, but fully embraced as one of the great choral works of the English tradition.
