It was difficult to believe that Herbert Howells’ deeply felt and moving tribute to not only his own lost son but to all lost children has taken so long to get its first performance at the Proms. The richly romantic setting and the cumulative sense of joy which it brings are immensely appealing and were very warmly received by an unexpectedly full hall.

Just for second, the opening feels like the start of Gerontius but soon we are in more challenging country with the tension of Requiem aeternam only gradually giving way to the warmth of luceat eis.  It is light which holds the key to the work and light which gives birth to the ecstatic outpourings of the solo soprano, Miah Persson, who soared radiantly above the large chorus and orchestra.

The work frequently refers to the English pastoral setting as an image for peace and harmony, not just in the choice of text but in the eloquence and understatement of the musical line. Only the tenor Andrew Kennedy’s I heard a voice darkens the mood again as the work moves towards its close in another burst of shimmering light.

If there are clear influences of Vaughan Williams and Walton, Howells voice is very much his own and deserves to be more widely known.

The combined forces of the BBC Symphony Chorus and London Philharmonic Choir brought a weight and authority to the setting which is not available to the The Choirs, and the acoustic did little to soften the impact of the text.

The large orchestra was laid out somewhat unconventionally allowing the woodwind to speak with greater clarity. The organ, played by Malcolm Hicks, is a vital part of the setting. All was well until the final pedal note sounded as if a bird was stuck down the pipe.

The second half of the evening brought Elgar’s First Symphony. Where Martyn Brabbins had found romantic weight in the Howells, he seemed to discover an extra lightness and modernity in the Elgar. The shifting moods and tonal intensities were sharply contrasted. The second movement seemed almost tongue-in-cheek at times in its skittishness, allowing the third movement to blossom with near Mahlerian intensity. If the final movement opened cautiously it soon developed a sense of bite and edge which was held through to a thrilling conclusion. What could have seemed a rather conservative programme on paper was anything but. BH