'The Lord gave the word': communicability to the fore in Handel's Messiah from Academy of Ancient Music & Laurence Cummings

The chapel of the Foundling Hospital where Handel performed Messiah annually

Handel: Messiah; Nardus Williams, Reginald Mobley, Thomas Walker, Ashley Riches, Academy of Ancient Music, Laurence Cummings; Barbican Hall
15 December 2025

A traditional version of the score and fleet speeds, but communicability was to the fore here with soloists and choir projecting both word and meaning, supported by instrumental virtuosity that was understated but definitive

Handel's Messiah is one of those perennials that in one sense always remains the same yet is always different. During Handel's lifetime this was literally the case as the composer adjusted the work for each new batch of soloists, which means that conductors have a whole host of choices. Few people go for some of the more obscure versions, except for those occasional performances that aim to recreate a particular version. The Academy of Ancient Music's performance of Messiah at the Barbican has become something of a regular (if not annual) event, with Laurence Cummings opting for a fairly traditional version of the score.

On Monday 15 December 2025, Laurence Cummings conducted the chorus and orchestra of the Academy of Ancient Music at the Barbican Hall with soloists soprano Nardus Williams, countertenor Reginald Mobley, tenor Thomas Walker, and bass Ashley Riches. We saw their performance of the work last year [see my review] but a new set of soloists bring a different feel to the work.

With a choir of 18 and an orchestra based on 14 strings, Cummings opted for speeds that were often on the fleet side, but nothing ever felt rushed. The faster choruses were simply that, and there was plenty of space for expressivity. One bonus was that the gaps between movements were kept to a minimum so that this was a performance that really flowed. 

One feature of previous performances from Cummings at the AAM has been the emphasis on words and communication. The same was true at this performance. Granted, many of us could probably quote Messiah almost word for word, but soloists and choir were all highly attuned to projecting word and meaning.

When I heard her recently in the title role of Handel's Partenope at ENO [see my review], Nardus Williams impressed with her ability to project the text, and the same was true here. Her sequence in Part One was full of story-telling and suppressed excitement, but then 'Rejoice greatly' had a serious air to it yet with intent rhythms. In Part Two, 'How beautiful are the feet' was poised and beautifully shaped, whilst in Part Three her two great arias focused on communicability. 'I know that my redeemer liveth' was dignified and very direct, and the same was true of 'If God be for us' with its beautifully shaped lines.

Countertenor Reginald Mobley brought an attractively warm, sweet-toned sound to his performance, allied to a willingness to use chest voice to add colour and variety to his timbre. Whilst his performance was notable for its dignity, vocally he was willing to use ornament and bravura to striking effect. In Part One, 'But who may abide' combined a soft-grained tone with inner strength, and great words. This carried on through the restrained joy of 'O thou that tellest'. In Part Two, 'He was despised' was taken at quite a flowing tempo, dignified but with a Da Capo that was discreetly but definitely ornamented (Mobley opted for inserting extra passing notes rather than wholesale recompositions). 'Thou art gone up on high' had a definitive feel about it, also with some fine bravura flourishes. In Part Three, Mobley got to duet with tenor Thomas Walker, the two voices contrasting finely.

We don't really hear enough of Thomas Walker in the UK, and coming up he has Bajazet in Handel's Tamerlano at the Handel Festival Karlsruhe, which definitely sounds worth a trip. Opening Part One, his accompagnato was steady and reassuring, sung with sweet tone, and this continued with 'Every valley'. His accompagnatos in Part Two, which effectively interrupt the chorus sequence, were vividly one, but there was intimacy too, especially in the aria 'Behold and see'. Then 'Thou shalt break them' was vivid indeed with the words spat out. It was clear that Walker was concerned over word and meaning, projecting these well without going full-blown operatic-histrionic. There was a lovely directness to his performance. 

Ashley Riches sang his entire role from memory, which brought an extra level of communicability. He sang with a notable lack of bluster, instead there was a sense of Bel Canto line and an ability to use the faster passage-work to expressive effect. In Part One, 'For behold' was expressive even though taken at quite a speed, with a sense of reassurance. 'The people that walked in darkness' was surprisingly mobile yet rightly with an underlying sense of joy. In Part Two, 'Why do the nations' was fast and vivid, word and music made urgent to match the meaning of the text. Part Three, of course, focuses on 'The trumpet shall sound'. In the accompagnato, Riches focused on the words. Then in the aria, joined by trumpeter David Blackadder, the two gave a fine Bel Canto account of the aria, with Riches projecting a strong, expressive line, matched note for note by Blackadder.

From their first entry in 'And the glory' in Part One, the chorus radiated joy and expressive rhythm. Many of the choruses bounced and danced in their rhythms, with Cummings keeping textures light and fleet. Yet never inexpressive. 'And he shall purify' had a slow build to it, gathering intensity, whilst 'Glory to God' was notable for the contrasts between sections. Part One ended with the light, bright joy of 'His yoke is easy'. In Part Two, 'Surely' was fleet, but strong accents ensured the meaning was projected, and 'He trusted in God' was similarly vivid. There was something definitive about 'Lift up your heads' the young singers really projecting that the text meant something. There was a vivid attack to 'Let us break their bonds asunder' and Part Two ended with a fleet account of 'Hallelujah' that conveyed a sense of building excitement. In Part Three, Cumming brought out the contrasts in 'Since by man', alternately hushed and vivid, and similarly in 'Worthy is the Lamb' both speed and attack were contrasted. 

I always enjoy the performances in this work from Cummings and the AAM Choir because Cummings uses the choir's virtuosity for an expressive purpose. You never feel that they are making a point for the sake of it. This was true of the AAM Orchestra too, where a lot of the instrumental virtuosity was understated but definitive and often dazzling. 

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