Mendelssohn's Elijah includes some routine music, as well as some which sees the composer at the height of his powers. It comes across best when treated vigorously, when it is thought of as Mendelssohn did - a characteristically Romantic mix of Baroque oratorio, drama and piety. So it was good to hear Colin Block take a robust view on Saturday night, when he conducted the Dublin County Choir and the Orchestra of St Cecilia.
Largely because of that, and because of the way everyone gave their best shot, the performance was enjoyable in spite of its limitations. The choir could produce a full-bodied sound, and although the men's sections needed a more blended tone, the overall effect was secure; and there were good contributions from those choir members who sang the small-group items.
The Orchestra of St Cecilia, augmented for this occasion to around 50 players, was usually reliable, as were the soloists, Mary Edel O'Sullivan (soprano), Edel O'Brien (contralto), Paul Kelly (tenor) and Philip O'Reilly (bass). A St Patrick's Cathedral chorister (unnamed) sang the short boy's solo as well as I have heard it done anywhere.
So, while this was an Elijah which missed much of Mendelssohn's calculated finesse, it was also an uplifting one; and Philip O'Reilly, in the tile role, did his fair share of the lifting.