A MEMORABLE celebration of the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams was staged by Newbury Choral Society.

They began with the 1567 hymn by Thomas Tallis Thou Wast, O God and thou wast blest before the world began. Perfectly placed in two choirs at the rear of the abbey and singing antiphonal verses, they sounded superb.

There was a seamless transition to the magical opening chords of Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, one of Vaughan Williams' best known works. The string quartet and two small string orchestras of the Southern Sinfonia played it beautifully. Five Variants on Dives and Lazarus was rich and joyful, with a superb solo violin and harp in the third movement.

The choral society were at their very best in their unaccompanied performance, immediately in front of the audience, of Three Shakespeare Songs. The men's voices were well placed in the centre. Full Fathom Five was suitably eerie and The Cloud-Capp'd Towers was especially delightful. One member of the audience said afterwards that song alone was worth the price of the ticket.

Conductor Leo Hussain explored the space in the abbey with his arrangement of Greensleeves, sung very distantly in the choir stalls like a hymn, and leading on to the sumptuous Fantasia on Greensleeves, with another clear violin solo.

Sadly, the musicians of the Southern Sinfonia were not named in the otherwise excellent programme.

Baritone soloist Stephen Gadd surprised us with the power of his voice and a commanding performance of Five Mystical Songs. The cello part in The Call was lush and the string bow retakes powerful. The choir brought the performance to a rousing finish with the last song, Antiphon, to an enthusiastic applause from the capacity audience.

After Fr Oliver's prayer, there was a short repeat by the choir of the Tallis hymn. A most satisfying evening.