Dating from 1896, Elgar's hour-long oratorio The Light of Life can now be seen as a test-run for that great triptych in this form the mature composer was to give us. As with Caractacus (another early large-scale choral offering by Elgar to have come my way recently), the actual music undeniably has its longueurs, and, also like that work, it's encumbered with a substandard libretto. But there's genuine inspiration to be found in some of the numbers: I'd particularly cite the glorious soprano aria ''Be not extreme, O Lord'', the tenor's extended, almost operatic ''As a spirit didst Thou pass before mine eyes'', and, of course, the noble orchestral introduction which Elgar labelled ''Meditation''. As ever, the lucid scoring throughout proclaims a veritable master, and much of the choral writing, too, shows enviable fluency and undoubted imagination.
This mid-price resuscitation, then, of Sir Charles Groves's more-than-able 1980 recording is certainly welcome: orchestral and choral contributions don't always match the exalted standards of what is an outstanding solo team, but it's a heartfelt, committed traversal for all that, and EMI's Liverpool Philharmonic Hall production still sounds impressively ample (if a little on the dry side). Michael Kennedy's accompanying notes, too, are exceptionally informative. However, readers may also like to know that this same work has recently received the LSO/Hickox treatment for Chandos—an enticing prospect, I'd say.'