The packed audience leaving St. David's Cathedral after the performance of Benjamin Britten's 'War Requiem', which closed this year's St. Davids Festival, had witnessed one of the most involving and personal cathedral concerts of recent years (writes Trevor Baines).
This work, written for the re-consecration of the rebuilt Coventry Cathedral in 1962, leaves us in no doubt about Britten's anti-war feelings and his revulsion at the 'futility of war'.
Conductor Timothy Noon's seamless view of this masterpiece of 20th century music produced moments of huge excitement and hushed magic from the combined Festival Chorus, Dyfed Choir, a huge festival orchestra with separate chamber orchestra, the marvellous cathedral choristers and the soloists.
Soprano Claire Seaton brought a big, but sensitive voice to inspire the chorus to some beautiful singing in the Lachrymosa and had the power to rise above the full sound of the orchestra and chorus in the final Libera Me.
Bass Michael Bundy sang powerfully in his solos and blended well in duets with tenor Andrew Carwood who sang a magnificently paced and moving Dona Nobis Pacem to Wilfred Owen's poem, 'At a Calvary near the Ancre'.
The technical challenges posed for the chorus were well overcome and one could sense the exhilaration of singing with such a large orchestral accompaniment. Bravo to the St. Davids Festival for staging, and bringing off, such a rarely heard work which challenges performers and listeners alike. This was not a concert where the audience were able to leave without an opinion about the music.