The Apostles, at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester - Seven magazine review This was a quite superb performance of The Apostles from Mark Elder with the Hallé orchestra and choirs. Going back to a proof copy of the vocal score and matching it with what Elgar himself conducted in 1921, Elder reinstated the idea of the semi-chorus of nine male voices, used to fill out the sonorities around the solo parts for Judas, John and Peter - making up the full 12 Apostles in an oratorio that tells the story of Christ's Passion from the viewpoint of his disciples. Elder's quest for detail also led him to find a shofar player, rather than the sometimes substituted trumpeter, for the scene depicting dawn over Jerusalem. The Jewish ritual instrument adds a distinctive, throaty colour to Elgar's sumptuously evocative orchestration. Happily, these details will all be preserved on the recording made for the Hallé"s own label, and can also be heard in a repeat at this summer's Proms. The least frequently performed of Elgar's major oratorios, The Apostles (1903) had a troubled gestation, perhaps in part because of the composer's own faltering faith. It has also found less favour with audiences on account of its predominantly slow and reflective mood. But in Manchester, Elder judged its solemn and mystical tone perfectly, conducting with ebb and flow and finding an arresting, dramatic urgency in places. Thanks also to excellent choral singing, the radiant glow of the climax was overwhelming, capping an almost Wagnerian finale. Elgar's emotional crisis may have led him to compose some of the most striking music for Judas, and here the bass Brindley Sherratt seized all his opportunities. The strong line-up also included Rebecca Evans (doubling as the Angel Gabriel and Virgin Mary), Alice Coote (Mary Magdalene), Paul Groves (John and narrator) and David Kempster (Peter), but Jacques Imbrailo stood out for his performance as Jesus, with a warmly pliant baritone and way of caressing each phrase that lent his music rare spiritual aura. "The Apostles" will be performed at the Proms on Aug 10; www.bbc.co.uk/proms