A packed hall enjoyed Worcester Cathedral Choir in a Christmas mood.

Entering in procession, singing mediaeval plainsong, tuned immaculately, the choir then sang two polyphonal motets by William Byrd. Laetentur coeli was given a detached style for long runs, while Look down, O Lord was slow and legato.

Tallis's joyful Audivi vocem de coelo contrasted ideally combining free-style plainsong with counterpoint and varying tempi. Intonation of cadences was outstanding.

Remember, O Thou Man by Arthur Oldham was interesting: two trebles were in duet with a tenor, while close harmonies wove around them.

Daniel Phillips's organ solos Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen, a chorale prelude by Brahms, and Wachet auf by Flor Peeters, showed his undoubted expertise but this limited organ was such hard work. He conducted also, the stupendous Vox dicentis clama by Edward Naylor in a most sensitive delivery, as he drew out lively singing, and brief but beautiful solos, by a glorious treble in particular.

John Tavener's The Lamb impressed with impeccable tuning of difficult intervals and part singing, and The Shepherds' Carol by Bob Chilcott involving subtle hummed harmonies, reached a wonderful climax at Telling of God being born.

James Manship (tenor) reminded us in Carol of the Homeless Children by Debussy, as Jesus was when he came, and baritone Ian Bell made us laugh with his humorous vocal tales of The Carol Singers.

Conductor Adrian Lucas's own super arrangement, with touches of 'the blues', in Have yourself a merry little Christ-mas concluded a very happy evening. Jill Hopkins.