This 2009 BIS disc,
The People Shall Hear!, a collection of great choruses by
George Frederick Handel, is good as far as it goes, which, unfortunately, is not very far. The selection is excellent, with all the big hits present: "See the Conquering Hero Comes," Zadok the Priest, "The Many Rend the Skies," and, of course, Hallelujah. The super audio sound is thrilling, with clarion highs, abysmal lows, and all the presence of a Mack truck. But the performances themselves are only so-so.
David Hill, a skilled choral conductor, and the
Bach Choir, a seasoned English chorus, clearly know the works, but that familiarity seems to have inspired, if not quite contempt, then at least indifference. All the notes are here, and all concerned, including the accompanying
English Concert, seem to want to do well by the music, but it sounds curiously lacking in enthusiasm and energy, and the performances come off as routine.