Belshazzar's Feast

Power, prophecy and peril collide in Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, a blazing choral spectacle of judgement.

Power, prophecy and peril collide in William Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, a work of electrifying scale and visceral intensity. From its ominous opening to the shattering drama of the writing on the wall, Walton fuses jazz-inflected rhythms, blazing brass and towering choral forces into one of the twentieth century’s most thrilling musical spectacles.

This landmark performance brings together The Cantus Ensemble—celebrating its 15th anniversary—alongside Hampstead Chamber Choir, marking its 50th anniversary, with Covent Garden Chorus and the Orchestra of the City, to deliver a reading of uncompromising power and colour.

The programme also reveals Walton’s remarkable versatility: the ceremonial brilliance of Orb and Sceptre March, the haunting intimacy of A Litany, and the resplendent grandeur of the Coronation Te Deum. Together, these works chart a composer equally at home in moments of quiet devotion and dazzling public celebration.

An evening of drama, majesty and sheer sonic impact—Walton at his most compelling.

There is a pre-concert talk at 7pm.