29 OCTOBER 1932, Page 42

Of chief interest in next Wednesday's programme of the B.B.C.

Symphony Concert is William Walton's Balshazzar's Feast," a modern oratorio to a text by Osbert Sitwell based on the Biblical story. Mr. Walton is undoubtedly the most original and, at the same time, the most rightly traditional of the younger English composers ; and ` Balshazzar's Feast " is one of his most ambitious efforts so far. The work, which had its first performance a year ago at these same concerts, shows bow he can think in terms of exciting colour as well as of arresting counterpoint. Wednesday's performance, I believe, will be the first major performance of the B.B.C. Chorus since Dr. Boult took it over from Mr. Stanford Robinson. Dr. Boult has previouslyproved himself adept in moulding massed voices, and it will be interesting to hear what improvements he has made in a choir whose tone and ensemble, last year, were often distressingly rough.