Review: James MacMillan Christmas Oratorio
by Breck McGough
James MacMillan, Christmas Oratorio, London Philharmonic Orchestra, LPO-0125, 2022. CD.
The classical music world received an early Christmas present this fall with the release of a live recording of James MacMillan’s Christmas Oratorio. While the composer may be mostly known for his settings of Christ’s Passion, he proves that he is equally at home setting texts related to the Incarnation. This massive work is nearly one hundred minutes long and is scored for soprano and baritone soloists, choir, and orchestra. It had its world premiere in January 2021 at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, but this recording comes from the UK premiere at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in December of that year. The London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir are conducted by Mark Elder and the vocal soloists are Lucy Crowe and Roderick Williams.
There are many features that place this work firmly in the English choral tradition of the 20th century. The opening sinfonia begins with only the pianissimo sound of two clarinets playing a duet reminiscent of an English folk song. The score in this section even gives the direction “folk-like” to the players. However, this section is completely in MacMillan’s own voice and hints at some of his earlier, more modernist pieces. Included in this movement, as well as several others, are extended instrumental techniques and moments of un-measured aleatoricism.
Another feature that this work shares with MacMillan’s 20th century English forebears is the use of texts from multiple sources to form his libretto. The oratorio is divided into two parts, each with seven movements. Each part is organized in an identical arch form with a sinfonia, a chorus, an aria, a tableau, another aria, another chorus, and a final sinfonia. The choruses are largely based on texts from the Mass, antiphons, and Latin hymns. The first chorus, for instance, contains texts from the “O” Antiphon for December 21, part of the Credo, and a selection from the “Alma Redemptoris Mater.” The arias are settings of poems by some of the great English poets, such as Robert Southwell, John Donne, and John Milton. The two tableau sections which act as the centerpieces of each of the two parts of the work, come from the Bible. Tableau 1 contains the entirety of the second chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel, while Tableau 2 gives a word-for-word setting of the Gospel of John chapter 1:1–18.
MacMillan’s division of his work into two parts is not simply to give the work a tidy form, instead it acts as a separation between the historical events of the nativity in Part 1 and the theology of the Mystery of the Incarnation in Part 2. The familiar trappings that would be expected of a Christmas oratorio are all present in Part 1: the stable, the Holy Family, the wise men, Herod’s wrath, and the Flight into Egypt. Part 2, on the other hand, focuses on elements of the Incarnation that cannot be so easily described. The opening chorus is a setting of “O Magnum Mysterium,” and the theme of Mystery pervades every moment of the second half of this work. The bookending of the prologue from St. John’s Gospel with mystical poetry of John Milton and Robert Southwell displays an Incarnation that exists in and out of time and in contrast to the historical nature of the Part 1, but not in opposition. The final chorus is a setting of the Scottish “Christ-Child’s Lullaby,” wherein Mary sings to her child, beginning by describing her love for the physical baby she holds and ending with her praises for the Christ who has existed out of time: “King of Kings, most holy one, God a son, eternal one. You are my God and helpless son, My ruler of mankind.”
While this type of theological dialogue may not suit every listener looking for holiday choral music, the music itself is very accessible. The use of melodies and rhythms reminiscent of folk tunes, the lush vocal writing for the choir, and the solo arias which contain both intimacy and virtuosity all make for an exciting and engaging musical experience. The London Philharmonic is in fine form under the direction of Mark Elder and navigates intricate passages with ease. The soloists, Lucy Crowe and Roderick Williams, not only have two of the finest instruments working today but they sing each phrase with purpose, and I found both of their performances immensely moving.
These elements of this recording made it possible for me to overlook glaring problems with the London Philharmonic Chorus led by Pieter Schoeman. There are consistent problems with choral blend in this recording, which may have to do with the microphone setup, but is at least partly due to the ensembles inability to share vowels. This is particularly true of the tenors who stick out in the wrong way fairly often. Even in sections written pianissimo, the tenors sound like they are members of an opera chorus. I may be overly critical of this point because of my familiarity with recordings of MacMillan’s works by The Sixteen, led by Harry Christophers. Their performance of MacMillan’s Symphony №5, for example, frequently has them at the extreme ends of their range and at very loud dynamics, but they always sound like an ensemble instead of a collection of soloists. However, the sum of this recording is definitely greater than its rough-and-ready choral performance.
With his Christmas Oratorio, James MacMillan has created a work that I feel will have a very long life. The combination of beautiful and accessible writing with profound theological statements makes this a work of astonishing power. It may not be an oratorio that will ever be performed at a holiday pops concert, but it really does not belong there. Audiences looking for familiar tunes or an overly sentimental setting of the nativity should look elsewhere. Instead of Christmas candy, MacMillan is serving us our theological vegetables. Thankfully, he has proven to be a master chef.
