Madam, - In marked contrast to Michael Dervan's description of the performance of Handel's Messiah by the Irish Baroque Orchestra and the Resurgam choir in St Patrick's Cathedral as "quite the shallowest" he had ever heard, Anne O'Connor (January 3rd) found it "energetic", "uplifting" and "the best performance of Messiah" she had heard.
I too found it quite outstanding and particularly enjoyed the stylish orchestral playing and the choir's exceptionally agile, even virtuoso singing which was a veritable tour de force. Every note, even in the faster tempos used, was clear and musically shaped under the direction of Mark Duley, one of this country's finest choral directors.
Combine this with the excellence of the soloists and the musical interest of a performance which approached as nearly as possible to the Messiah as first performed in Dublin in 1742 (which differs sometimes markedly from the later version with which we are more familiar) and the result for me, as for Dr O'Connor and I feel sure most of the audience present, was indeed one of the finest performances of the work I have had the pleasure of hearing.
Michael Dervan is, of course, entitled to his opinion of the performance, but we should remember that his is but one (and, it would appear, a minority) view. It would be a shame if this one opinion were to prevail or, indeed, to be considered the only professionally informed account of this most excellent performance. - Yours, etc.,
Dr BARRA BOYDELL,
Department of Music,
NUI Maynooth,
Co Kildare.