Dunedin Consort - Handel: Samson - The Arts Desk

Samson was premiered in Covent Garden in 1743, a hefty oratorio written by Handel in Dublin at the same time as Messiah, its libretto adapted from Milton’s Samson Agonistes. John Butt’s handsomely cast new recording makes a persuasive case for this big-boned, baggy work. Interestingly, the choruses exist in two versions here. On the CDs we get boys’ voices singing the soprano lines, though it's possible to download alternative takes featuring just Butt’s stellar cast of soloists, bolstered by a second alto. Both are effective, though I'm smitten with the sound made by the larger scale chorus, the boys’ voices (the excellent Tiffin Boys’ Choir) adding a thrilling edge to the fruitier moments. The most famous one comes near the close, soprano Mary Bevan’s “Let the Bright Seraphim” a treat, and blessed with some glorious natural trumpet playing.

Brisk speeds and agile accompaniments make this performance fly by. Joshua Ellicott’s Samson is an appealingly sympathetic character, delivering an eloquent “Total eclipse” in Act 1, Sophie Bevan's Dalila equally charismatic. There's fun alongside the drama too: sample the chorus of warring Israelites and Philistines which closes Act 2. Handsomely produced, with outstanding notes and glowing sound, this is a treat.