Alf McCreary review: Two special Christmas performances by the Ulster Orchestra and Belfast Philharmonic

The Ulster Orchestra and the Belfast Philharmonic Choir have enjoyed a memorable Christmas season by filling the Waterfront Hall to capacity in two very different concerts within four days.

The first took place on Saturday December 14 with Handel’s Messiah. This is a piece which people cherish, or don’t quite take to, but its Biblical message lies at the very heart of Christmas.

This was a special performance in more ways than one. Recently the ‘Phil’ celebrated its 150th anniversary with an excellent performance of Elijah with the Ulster Orchestra in the Ulster Hall. Over the years The Messiah has been the Phil’s much anticipated contribution to the local musical scene, not only at Christmas, and I am told that Saturday’s concert was the Choir’s 300 performance of this epic work.

Under the sure control of the distinguished conductor Christian Curnyn, with soloists Kelli-Ann Masterson (soprano), Katie Bray ( mezzo-soprano), Michael Bell ( tenor) and Christopher Cull( bass-baritone ) this was a sensitive overall performance which gave full emphasis to the deeply spiritual libretto by Charles Jennens, and the solo parts and rippling choruses of Handel at his most creative.

There was great inspiration in experiencing a full audience in the Waterfront standing and singing the famous Hallelujah Chorus, and there is little if anything in choral music to surpass the ending with “Worthy is the Lamb” and the final “Amen”, all of which the Phil featured with its distinctive aplomb.

The atmosphere in the Waterfront Hall was very different on Tuesday night with the Phil and Orchestra, and soloists Dana Masters and Patrick Smyth, under the seasoned and dynamic direction of Richard Balcome, all combining to provide an evening of Christmas Magic.

This was a judicious mixture of the secular ranging from a chorus from The Messiah to Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, as well as two impressive pieces A Christmas Carnival and A Christmas Overture which showed the Ulster Orchestra at its best.

Dana Masters, brought up in America, and who also lived for sixteen years in Northern Ireland, paid a warm tribute to this Province and its people, and Patrick Smyth, originally from Belfast, managed superbly to involve the large audience in a singalong/miming of The Twelve Days of Christmas.

It was an enjoyable evening of music-making and great fun for all.