Although The Dream of Gerontius may be an unlikely star of Alan Bennett's The Choral, the masterpiece hardly needs a increase in recognition. Gardner's vibrant new album stands as one of several issued in the last two years, with another expected early next year.
Captured in a live setting at the BBC Proms in 2022, the propulsive reading boasts a lot going for it. Clayton captures the feverish nature of the dying man whose each feeling is both a fear and a fascination. His heroic voice thrills in the magnificent prayer, Holy and Strong, while an expressive use of text illuminates the thought-provoking dialogue session in the second part. Jamie Barton's luxurious voice has a palpable presence as well as providing plentiful resources of comfort. Platt's rugged bass is well-suited to the Angel of the Agony.
Edward Gardner is intensely theatrical, expressing the story with an nearly operatic boldness. The London Philharmonic performs as if a group of demons was at its back, matched by the joint forces of the London Philharmonic and Hallé choirs. In places, the acoustic robs the recording of the final ounce of immediacy, but all in all it's a fine achievement to rank with Collon's gripping Finnish version issued in recent months.
