A COMPLETELY full church with no spare seats to be seen was the setting for this concert. Conducted with skill and sensitivity by Cathal Garvey, the choir began with Joy to the World!, with music by Lowell Mason to words by Isaac Watts from 1719.

Britten's A Boy was Born from his choral variations of 1934, emphasised the gently shifting harmonies and the conductor highlighted these and the dynamics of the piece. Three traditional carols followed – The Coventry, Wexford and Sussex. Selections from Berlioz and Tavener preceded Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on Christmas Carols.

An organ introduction by Steve Bowey was followed by a baritone solo from Joe Corbett with a rumble of ground bass underneath. Traditional songs and carols are blended into this pastoral piece for Christmas with the choir and soloist Joe Corbett in fine, restrained voice.

The main focus of attention on this night however was on modern composer Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace. A mixture of poetry and prose styles from different cultures featuring elements of the requiem mass, the Muslim call to prayer, the Athan, sung by Abderrahim Aboutaj, sacred and secular texts and even unaccompanied male voices in Gregorian chant style, it was a powerful and moving anti-war composition; the highs, lows and dramatic interludes all pointed up forcefully by the choir and orchestra under Garvey's clear-headed guidance.

The Sanctus marks the beginning of the agitation with restrained chant-like lines juxtaposed with agitated, complex harmonies. Movement 7, Charge!, has the orchestra playing a cacophony of war-like sounds as the choir responds with dissonant cries representing horror and outpourings of grief. The sound of a lone trumpet playing the Last Post is followed by momentary silence.

Full marks to the choir, orchestra and the guidance of the conductor for conveying the full import of this passionate music calling for peace. Towards the end the mood changes, the warm melody of the Angus Dei and a solo usually sung by a soprano, was on this occasion well delivered by baritone Joe Corbett. A winsome, poignant cello solo starts movement 12 and 13 heralds a new millennium of peace. A dark, sombre work that ends in hope, very well conveyed by all concerned.