Belshazzar's Feast (Walton)

Belshazzar's Feast is a cantata by the English composer William Walton, depicting the Babylonian captivity of the people of Israel, the death of their oppressor Belshazzar and the collapse of the Babylonian kingdom. It was first performed at the Leeds Triennial Festival on 8 October 1931, with the baritone soloist Dennis Noble, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Leeds Festival Chorus, conducted by Malcolm Sargent.

Osbert Sitwell selected the text from the Bible, primarily the Book of Daniel and Psalm 137. The work is dedicated to Walton's friend and benefactor Lord Berners. Belshazzar's Feast has remained one of Walton's most celebrated compositions, but for many years after its premiere it was deemed unsuitable for church performance and in England it was banned from the Three Choirs Festival until 1957.

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