Walton's searing oratorio Belshazzar's Feast, composed for baritone, chorus and orchestra, takes as its story the scene from the Bible in which, at a feast for King Belshazzar, a hand appears and prophetically writes a divine message on the wall. Often compared to Orff's Carmina Burana for its driving pulse and barbaric splendor, Belshazzar's Feast is now considered the best large-scale British choral work since Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius.
Coupled with William Walton's grandiose work is the intimate, nostalgic cantata by Edward Elgar, another of Britain's leading composers, in which we hear several quotations from his own works. Originally written for soprano or tenor, orchestra and chorus, but which you will hear with contralto, The Music Makers is inspired by the idea that artists are the true creators and artisans of history and society.
