It is easy to understand why Acis and Galatea has remained Handel's most popular stage work. It is a pastoral opera full of beautiful music that perfectly encapsulates the tragic love story of a shepherd and a nymph.
The Keble Early Music Festival are to be commended for bringing a truly captivating performance to the Keble Chapel. Directed by Nicholas Heath, it was a well presented semi-staged performance in the ornate surroundings making good use of the space and height. Judicious use of lighting enhanced the action.
The piece is often performed with a small group of singers but here we were treated to the full Choir of Keble College who brought their youthful vitality and musical finesse to all of the chorus music. It was a glorious sound and an unexpected treat.
Handel's delicate instrumentation was delivered with precision and panache by the Instruments of Time and Truth. Conducted with assurance by Christian Wilson, it was music making of the highest order. I would, personally, have preferred a more natural flow from one number to the next to help sustain the drama but that is a minor quibble.
The four soloists were a consistent delight. Whilst I am familiar with the score, each singer brought out new details that I had not noticed before and they also made subtle use of ornamentation again keeping a fresh feel to the performance as a whole.
Nicholas Mulroy has a long connection to the role of Acis and that showed in the ardour and elegance of his interpretation. He was alive to the text and scaled his voice perfectly. The delicate final bars of Love in her eyes sits playing will stay with me for a long time.
Neal Davies was luxurious casting for the monster Polyphemus. His natural stage presence and vocal power combined to deliver a showstopping performance of the famous O ruddier than the cherry. Anna Dennis (Galatea) and Maisie Lewis (Damon) both had moments of real beauty and genuine emotion to complete a musically impressive quarter of soloists.
I certainly look forward to similar theatrical offerings at future festivals. There is a wealth of repertoire for them to explore in what deserves to be one of the cultural highlights of the year for Oxford music lovers.