An Evening of Carols at the MCC

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I launched my personal carol season at Lord's on December 1st with some absolute bangers led by the incredible Philharmonia Chorus.
Kate Mason, Metro, 19 December 2025

Handel - Messiah - Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment conducted by Eamonn Dougan

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There is, of course, a long tradition in this country of Christmas Messiah performances but it's not one I've ever previously participated in. This was the first time I've ever heard Messiah live, despite being quite long in the tooth, and it was terrific. I can see what I've been missing out on all these years. Handel really knew what he was doing, as do the Philharmonia Chorus, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and four excellent soloists, all under the leadership of Eamonn Dougan.

I am no expert on the scholarship behind performance practice of Messiah, although the piece is clearly robust enough to work in any number of types of presentation. What we had last night was something of a hybrid approach: small period-instrument band but large choir (numbering around a hundred). But no weighty choral-society warbling here. Eamonn Dougan encouraged a lightness of approach in his pithy, agile gestures, and the Philharmonia Chorus responded in kind, the sopranos in particular flying fluently through their many melodic runs. The final chorus saw the entire choir in glorious, summatory voice. Elsewhere, they were feisty in "He trusted in God" and generous in "wonderful counsellor" from "For unto us a child is born".

Bernard Hughes, The Arts Desk, 13 December 2025

Rachmaninov - The Bells - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko - Harmonia Mundi recording

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Recording engineers Tom Lewington and Mike Hatch ensure the choir has tremendous presence, and kudos too to Gavin Carr's work as Chorus Master diction, balance, color, and tuning are exemplary. In the opening movement, we are immediately drawn in by light sparkle (mimicking sleigh bells) of the playing, and the dramatic weight of the choir's first entrance (1'48"). The reading build to a climax of refulgent colours (4'55"). Mirjam Mesak's solo in the second movement is lovely, and both she and Petrenko (who adopts a quick tempo only Rattle in Berlin/Warner Classics is faster) keep the music from becoming maudlin. Yet the performance never feels rushed, so that Rachmaninoff's luscious harmonies really depict the languid glow of love and marriage.

When I saw a timing of 8'30" for "The Loud Alarm Bells," I expected to be disappointed. Other excellent performances of this movement (Kondrashin and Rattle) are significantly faster. But Petrenko builds tension masterfully, making the percussion-laden climax (7'30") terrifying. The full-throated singing of the Philharmonia Chorus is thrillingly incisive. The final movement is again on the faster side, less dirge than anguished lament, a feeling heightened by Andril Kymach's impassioned solo. Once again, choir and orchestra build great waves of sound that make the text's grief and sorrow palpable, the gorgeous string playing in the Coda is the first signal of sadness turning to resignation and acceptance.

David A McConnell - The Classic Review, 24 November 2025

Petrenko is in his element here - and so too is the Philharmonia Chorus, particularly electrifying when unleashed at full tilt in the 'Alarm Bells' movement.

Rebecca Franks, BBC Music Magazine, December 2025

The Bells adds a 100-strong Philharmonia Chorus on peak form, coached into heavy-duty Russianness. It is Petrenko's 'loud alarum bells' that will test the resilience of your speakers. Embracing wider fluctuations of tempo and expression than Kirill Kondrashin's Melodiya classic of 1963, the dynamic onslaught is shattering.

David Gutman, The Gramophone, December 2025

Bernstein - Chichester Psalms - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko

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Last night's concert from the Royal Philharmonic certainly drew a healthy crowd, and it had one sure-fire blockbuster in the shape of Mahler's first Symphony. But the main piece alongside it Bernstein's Chichester Psalms so often intimate and delicate in sound, unexpectedly stole the show. The combination of Broadway sassiness, neo-classical austerity and delicate inwardness can feel strained. Yet, under the sensitive direction of conductor Vasily Petrenko, it seemed a proper masterpiece.

Then came that moment in Psalm 23, when a boy treble lends a pearly innocence to the lines "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." On this occasion, treble Edward Scholes gave those lines something more, a trembling expressivity which was deeply touching. After a brief moment of anger against ungodly rulers, the piece calmed to a reflective tone, the final chorus hushed but glowing with inner heat. It was altogether wonderful.

Ivan Hewett - The Telegraph, 22 October 2025

Joe Hisaishi - The End of the World - Royal Philharmonic Ochestra conducted by Joe Hisaishi

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There were hints of Stravinsky, strictly atonal lyricism and big band jazz alongside symphonic landscaping that marshalled the RPO, BBC Singers and Philharmonia Chorus into sweeping waves of sound, all colourful post-minimalism topped by frothing strings.

Flora Willson, The Guardian, 15 August 2025

Max Richter - Cosmology - Philharmonia Ochestra conducted by André de Ridder

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....and the women of the Philharmonia Chorus cutting through the instrumental mush to float an ethereal descant based on Bach's chorale Wachet auf.
Richard Morrison, The Times, 16 May 2025