ABSTRACT
Willem De Fesch's Judith is one of the earliest English oratorios, preceded only by Handel's Esther and Maurice Greene's short Song of Deborah and Barak of 1732. The new English oratorio repertory of the latter half of the eighteenth century included full-length works, almost entirely devoid of a plot, with equally virtuous characters. Apart from the heroine herself, the legend also offers ample room for dramatic scenes, such as choruses for the opposing Bethulians and Assyrians, and there is also the additional attraction of Judith's opponent, the cunning Holofemes. Small wonder, therefore, that De Fesch, Smith and Arne deemed the legend appropriate for an oratorio. The murder, described in every ghastly detail by Huggins and De Fesch, is only of minor importance to Smith and Arne: Smith introduces a sudden change of scene in Act 3, from the Assyrian camp, as Judith prepares for the murder, to Bethulia, where she is celebrated on her return.
