The Pilgrim's Progress - Vaughan Williams

Saturday 10th November 2001
at Clifton Cathedral, Bristol

Ursula Vaughan Williams attends a performance of her husband's masterpiece

Ursula Vaughan Williams, the 91-year-old widow of the famous English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, was delighted to attend a performance of her husband's masterpiece The Pilgrim's Progress. She travelled from London specially for the concert given on Saturday 10 November by the Bristol Phoenix Choir and Orchestra in Clifton Cathedral. The baritone, Niall Hoskin, well known for his performances of English music, sang the central role of Pilgrim and the 40 separate solo parts in this 'Morality' were taken by members of the chamber group Amici. The conductor Leslie Bunt had an excellent rapport with the musicians, who were responsive to his sensitive direction. In an electrifying performance the cathedral reverberated to the music of over 140 performers, and the soloists, singing from different vantage points, used the immense space of the cathedral to good effect. In particular the Vanity Fair scene was spine-tingling in the total commitment of the performers as they urged Pilgrim to stray from the straight and narrow path and to indulge in the pleasures of the world.

This music is seldom performed and the audience (several of whom had travelled from different parts of the country to hear the work) was enthusiastic in its applause, not only for the musicians, but also for Ursula Vaughan Williams who had herself written part of the libretto.

Audience comments included the following:
"ravishing"
"spine-tingling"
"a wonderful evening"
"most professional"
"every member of the Phoenix Choir gave it tremendous energy and the soloists were splendid"
"the whole performance seemed to go without a hitch"