This recording of Messiah dates from the mid-1960s and, in comparison to some versions currently in the catalogue, sounds rhythmically four-square and heavy-footed—the Allegro moderato of the opening Sinfonia provides an instance of what I mean. But there are virtues, too, and for me these lie, above all, in the singing, both solo and choral. Here the London Symphony Chorus under the direction of John Alldis makes a lively contribution, though it does sound rather large to ears which have become accustomed to the leaner, more translucent textures of present-day baroque choral singing. This was a good period for the London Symphony Orchestra, too, but as I have implied, the sheer body of sound seems almost daunting nowadays; and there are aspects of ornamentation which seem to me to detract from the natural contours of the music. This is not simply a case of modern versus period instruments but rather, in this instance, of what the instruments actually do.
As documents of singing, however, recordings of this kind are often precious and well worth reissuing. Heather Harper, Helen Watts and John Shirley-Quirk were all at the height of their powers during the 1960s and their contributions are expressive and individual. John Wakefield also sounds well, though I enjoyed his approach to the music rather less than that of the other three. In matters of style this is perhaps a rival version from the same period to that conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras (EMI), which has better withstood the passage of time; so, faced with a choice between the two, I would opt for the latter. But, as I say, the Philips has its strong points and, overall its solo vocalists perhaps make a stronger, more unified impression. Clear, effective recorded sound but texts are not included.'