One had the impression with chorus and orchestra, the South Yorkshire Symphony who played splendidly, also applauding that much of the acclaim was directed towards the three soloists.

The Oratorio Chorus and their indefatigable conductor Alan Eost, perched precariously on top of two podiums, certainly deserved some of the cloud-nine ecstacy generated if only for the final chorus, Sing the Lord, ye Voices All, with its cleanly defined lines, but that was the icing on the cake.

Generally, the choir's singing had vigorous clarity and they sang their hearts out, nowhere more so than at Achieved Is the Glorious Work.
Elizabeth Watts was in terrific voice, producing singing of the highest order and soaring to top C in her first aria, while her better-known later ones, With Verdure Clad and On Mighty Pens, particularly exceptional, were simply wonderful.

Singing of equal magnificence, with equally fine diction, was by provided dark-hued Irish-Welsh baritone Paul Carey-Jones. His Adam and Eve duetting with Liz was marvellous and his singing as Raphael outstanding on all counts, firm, focussed, non-exaggerated, graphic word-painting – the lot!

Although young tenor James Edwards did not quite attain the high level of his colleagues, with whom he blended superbly, he still turned in a remarkable performance, singing the music astonishingly well for the first time as a very late replacement.