Hats off to Newbury Choral Society for taking up the challenge of singing an all Renaissance programme of motets and anthems.

It was an enormous challenge taking a number of the choir out of their comfort zone and singing music of composers they may never have heard of, Guerrero, Hassler, Farrant, Batten, Aichinger and Aniero being just a few.

There were a number of challenges in undertaking this programme. Firstly, this music was written in the main for collegiate churches and cathedrals which would have had a team of musicians to sing the offices.

These choral groups would have been small groups on the whole, perhaps 20 or fewer singers. Much of this music is polyphonic, requiring clear production of the interweaving vocal lines.

Conductor Cathal Garvey provided introductions and historical explanations between groups of items and the very well-produced programme gave all the texts and a mini biography of each composer - helpful in involving the audience in a programme of unfamiliar music.

The carefully-thought-through programme was divided into 3 sections - the Liturgical Year, The Protestant Tradition and the Catholic Tradition.

What a pity that the liturgical year did not include any of the magnificent motets for Easter day - we only got as far as the Easter Saturday Vigil.

With 50-plus singers, this programme was off to a tricky start. A group of so many amateur singers is a difficult vehicle for the polyphonic lines to be heard clearly.

The particular vocal intervals in Renaissance polyphony, for example, the rising minor thirds, pose intonation challenges. The quiet organ accompaniment helped here.

The age-old problem, that of singing slowly and/or quietly, again requires sustained intonational concentration. And the evening was a little long.

But Newbury Choral Society should feel proud of their achievement. Twenty-five items of largely 16th-century music were sung with conviction and understanding.

Individual polyphonic entrances were clearly marked out, the rhythmic passages were well rehearsed, dynamics were carefully observed and particularly praiseworthy were the neatly accomplished changes of tempo or time signatures.

Steve Bowie played two short instrumental items where the different colours of the fine Kenneth Tickell organ were clearly demonstrated.

Palestrina, Victoria, Tallis, Byrd and Monteverdi are demanding to perform and the choir did themselves proud. 'Vive Newbury Choral Society.'