Opera directors love looking for contemporary angles in works and this one, although not strictly opera, was a gift for Daniel Slater because modern resonances are there to start with.

The origin of Handel's work is John Milton's Samson Agonistes based on the Biblical character of Samson – in Judges, Chapter 16 which is set in Gaza.

Milton made Dalila Samson's wife, for Philistines read Palestinians and, in the preceding chapters, it is obvious that Samson was what we would term a terrorist these days.

Long regarded as one of Handel's finest dramatic works, Buxton Festival's staging is certainly high on drama if, inevitably, fairly static drama, although it is more than just a visual outing for one of his oratorios even if its designation is musically apparent quite a few times.

It is acted, most of the time in the blinded Samson's jail cell, the integral part of a sort of large four-sided screen in the shape of a square box.

The chorus provide much of the animated action, alternately as the Israelites and Philistines (Israelis and Palestinians), and the choral singing is absolutely superb.

So magnificent is it, counting the chorus members (eight women, eight men) one is convinced Harry Christophers had brought The Sixteen with him. But, no, it is the festival chorus.

The world-famous Handelian did, however, bring his period-instrument Sixteen orchestra and his presence in the pit ensures immaculately-tuned Handelian sounds and panache.

The six soloists, an outstanding line-up on paper, with reservations, do not disappoint.

At the performance under review, Wednesday's dress rehearsal, in theory, the equivalent of an opening night which is tonight, Rebecca Bottone (Dalila) seemed to under-sing at times.

Rebecca du Pont Davies (Micah), a very fine mezzo soprano, didn't always sound totally confident but sang her prayer, Return, O God of Hosts beautifully, while burgeoning superstar Elin Manahan Thomas, doubling as the Philistine and Israelite women, may well deliver the latter's very accurately sung Let the Bright Seraphim with greater zest with an audience in front of her.

Tom Randle (Samson) gets considerable feeling into his burnished-toned, heroic singing, especially an intense Why Does the Lord God of Israel? which always seems to lose out among tenors to Total Eclipse – excellently done here.

Honour and Arms is suitably warlike from Jonathan Best (a thuggish Palestinian Harapha), excellent as always, if a little rough-edged, and Russell Smythe (Manoah) is so good you again ask, why is he not better known?

Daniel Slater puts his own visual imagery on things and the end of act two (the work is performed with one interval midway through this act) has been treated as a dream sequence, for instance, but it is all inoffensive – although not sure about the Hedy Lamaar/ Victor Mature film clip!