This remains the best version of Elijah ever recorded in English, and among the most desirable ever made as a whole. It derives its strengths from a solid, long tradition of performing the oratorio in Britain, now virtually lost. Dedication is evident on all sides, most of all in Sargent’s vibrant, lived-in reading (preferable to his remake, 4/57 – nla) and in Harold Williams’s superbly committed account of the title part, which remains an object-lesson for any and every successor willing to take the trouble to listen to how the great Australian artist – at 54 his tone fuller and richer than in his earlier, 1930 recording – welds text to music, delivering it in a bass-baritone of the ideal weight for the role.
“Lord God of Abraham” is the very epitome of sincere affirmation. His dramatic attack at “O thou, who makes thine angels spirits!” and in “Is not his Word?” have an authentic Old Testament ring. Later he suggests all the suffering of Elijah’s soul, culminating in a deeply affecting “It is enough”. In “I go on my way”, peace at last comes to this Elijah, Williams’s tone nicely counterpointed by the woody sound of the Liverpool Philharmonic’s oboist. Then Williams’s enunciation of certain key words, such as “Jezebel’s table” and “I journey hence to the wilderness” bespeak a lifetime’s familiarity with the work. Altogether this is a wonderful piece of singing.
Baillie’s performance also benefits from long experience of the work. She is a properly concerned Widow, an appropriately boy-like Youth, and aware of the awesome nature of “Thy face must be veiled”. As ever with Baillie, “Hear ye, Israel” has poise, “Be not afraid” complete conviction. Gladys Ripley, as articulate with her words as her colleagues, is a fiery Jezebel, singing both of her solos with firm tone and unaffected phrasing. Johnston has a more robust voice than we usually hear these days in the tenor solos, but is not particularly communicative.
The Huddersfield Choral Society sing with rugged, no-nonsense strength though are obviously not as clearly recorded as choirs on modern versions. Sargent draws from them and from his Liverpool Philharmonic charges readings of true conviction. He cuts three of Mendelssohn’s less-inspired numbers in Part 2. The recording has been faithfully restored by Dutton Laboratories.
As a bonus, we hear another noted Elijah, Roy Henderson, in two of his arias, softer-grained than Williams in approach (Decca, 1946), Webster Booth mellifluous in Obadiah’s arias (HMV, 1939) and Marjorie Thomas in “O rest in the Lord” (HMV, 1948). Lyndon Jenkins contributes the authoritative notes – but 20 years at least have been taken off Johnston’s life, a printing mistake no doubt.'