Thursday 22 September 2011

Caractacus Rules ! Elgar broadcast

Elgar's splendid Caractacus (from the Three Choirs Festival, Worcester) is being broadcast Friday on BBC Radio 3 at 7.30pm. Even if Elgar oratorios are not your usual fare, this one's fun. Listen, as it's a splendidly rousing account, livelier, I think, than the Hickox recording. "Watchmen alert!" sing the massed choir. Right from the start, Elgar's Caractacus begins defiantly. "The Roman hordes have girdled in our British coast". Then Caractacus takes up the call. "Watchmen alert! The King is here!".The Romans have invaded Britain. But Druids will not be beaten ! Available for a week online, internationally

Please see this review for more.   

Original review, written at the time of the UK riots, is here, which includes historic recording from 1927.

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