Belfast Philharmonic Choir marks its 150th anniversary with a soaring performance of Mendelssohn’s ‘Elijah’

There was a sense of a special occasion in the Ulster Hall on Friday evening when the Belfast Philharmonic Society marked the 150th anniversary of its formation in 1874 by performing Mendelssohn’s ‘Elijah’, which was the first-ever performance by the choir.

This was marked no less by the presence of the Lord Lieutenant of Belfast Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle DBE who wrote a special message for the programme in which she stated: “There is no greater expression of community than music-making, and no greater music-making than choral singing.

“As better days return to Belfast, I reflect on just how fortunate we are to have the Belfast Philharmonic Choir raising voices across the generations. I congratulate every member of the chorus, past and present, and I look forward to the next 150 years with all of its founders’ confidence, optimism and further outstanding performances.”

Musically the ‘Phil’, as it is popularly known, rose to the special occasion on Friday night with a memorable performance with the backing of its long-term partner the relatively youthful Ulster Orchestra, itself established in 1966.

The title of the concert was ‘The power of sound’ and this was evident from the very first chorus ‘Help, Lord’ with the impressive massed ranks of 140 of its members filling the choir stalls, and the mighty Mulholland Organ played by Tristan Russcher booming through it all in one of its all-too-rare live soundings in the Ulster Hall.

The story of the Old Testament prophet is one of the most dramatic and colourful in the entire Bible, and is matched by Mendelssohn’s masterpiece which is widely regarded as his finest achievement.

The overall performance was enhanced by the high-quality soloists Ben McAteer (baritone); Dean Power (tenor); Elinor Rolfe Johnson (soprano); Claire Barnett-Jones (alto) and also young Maria Rafferty a member of the Phil’s Youth Choirs supported by understudy Alexa Thompson. Special mention is also due to the conductor James Grossmith who deftly shaped and guided the mighty musical forces at his command.

There was one caveat, however. The performance went on until 10.30pm with numbers of people having to leave early to catch their transport. A much earlier start would have been wiser, but overall this was another special milestone in the ‘Phil’s’ outstanding history.