13 Dec 2021
On Saturday 11 December, the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, led by John Eliot Gardiner, performed Berlioz’s sacred oratorio L’enfance du Christ at St Martin-in the-Fields. The ensembles were joined by an outstanding cast of soloists for a concert that marked the beginning of our new artistic partnership with the central London church, and received glowing reviews in the press:
“The period instrumentalists of the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique excelled… And the Monteverdi Choir captured not only the spitting hatred of the soothsayers but also the hushed reverence of the shepherds — their “farewell” including one breathtaking crescendo that will echo in my mind well past the 12 days of Christmas.”
Richard Morrison ★★★★★ The Times – click here to read the full review (Times subscription required)
“The Christmas oratorio about the holy family’s flight into Egypt was beautifully performed by John Eliot Gardiner’s Monteverdi Choir and Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique and a top-flight cast of soloists.”
Erica Jeal ★★★★ The Guardian – click here to read the full review
“A magical telling of Berlioz’s Christmas story”
Ivan Hewett ★★★★ The Telegraph – click here to read the full review
“Perfectly modulated perfection also came from the Monteverdi Choir, running the gamut from tenderest of shepherds to harsh, spitting Egyptians… You don’t get more spiritual seasonal music than this, nor classier performances.”
David Nice, The Arts Desk – click here to read the full review
