Church, Pembroke -- May 13 and 14.

A spontaneous roar of approval and standing ovation greeted the 25-year-old Chinese violinist, Xioa-Dong Wang, as the last flourish of his bow brought a remarkable rendition of the Bruch Concerto to a climactic close.

The occasion was the Bermuda Heritage Concert, staged annually in a flower-filled St. John's Church by the Gilbert & Sullivan Society.

Rarely have the rafters of this old church echoed with such applause as that afforded the young musician. And rarely, if ever, have they absorbed such mellow sweetness and dazzling virtuosity as that emanating from the 18th century Guarnerius violin in the hands of this Juilliard student. Student he may be, but Wang, who is being touted as the next violinist to take the world by storm, has already played with several of the world's leading orchestras.

He first played the Bruch G minor concerto with the Shanghai Symphony when he was ten, so it is hardly surprising that its considerable technical demands held no terrors at all for him. Hardly the same could be said for conductor Marjorie Pettit, who found herself, podium-wise, following the likes of Sir Yehuci Menuhin, who has conducted Wang at the Royal Festival Hall. Having, as usual, done her homework, she rose magnificently to the occasion, coaxing a highly credible performance from the 40-strong orchestra. This concerto is notoriously difficult to accompany, a problem magnified by the fact that Wang, apparently, varies widely in his pace and interpretation from performance to performance. Under the leadership of Kerry Haslam, the orchestra more than held its own, with some beautiful solo passages by David De Mercado on the French horn. Long a showcase for the concert violinist, Wang's performance was breathtaking for its sheer range of dynamics, from the tremulous pianissimo which still managed to sing through the church, to the contrasting excitement of the double forte passages which reverberated with the strength of an entire orchestra. The good news is that Xioa-Dong Wang has agreed to play in next year's concert. Book now.

The evening had begun with the regal coronation anthem, `Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened' written by Handel for the crowning of George II and Queen Caroline in 1727. The rigorously rehearsed choir was in fine fettle and, somewhat surprisingly after the emotion engendered by the Bruch, brought the first half of the programme to a rousing finale with the joyfully melodic drama of The Anvil Chorus from Verdi's `Il Travatore'.

Other operatic excerpts saw the return to Bermuda of Brina Zunner, this time, singing in his richly effortless baritone voice the memorable aria from Verdi's `La Traviata', where Germont tries to persuade his son to leave the courtesan, Violetta. Then there was American mezzo-soprano making an impressive Bermuda debut with one of the most haunting arias in the whole of opera -- that of Orfeo lamenting the loss of Eurydice, from `Orfeo ed Eurydice'.

The other major work on the programme was Rossini's `Stabat Mater', a hymn lamenting the agony of the Virgin Mary at the Crucifixion.

Despite the mournful image of its setting, this choral work abounds in the operatic melody and frankly theatrical-style arias that we would expect from Gioacchino Rossini.

The opening chorus, sung in impeccably clear Latin, set a standard that was beautifully sustained throughout this demanding ten-movement work. Bermuda's Gary Burgess, professor of opera and voice at the State University of New York, returns regularly to perform in Marjorie Pettit's concerts. His fine tenor voice, with its impeccable phrasing brought a serene beauty to this opening, well-known aria.

His pupil, Brian Zunner, added balancing depth with his bass passages, notably where he led the choir into the lovely a cappella `Eja, Mater' section. Trudy Weaver revealed the true range of her voice as she easily sustained the higher range of the glorious `Cavatina'. Making a welcome return from Japan was Akiko Murakami, whose naturally sweet soprano voice seemed stronger than I had remembered as she soared effortlessly over chorus and orchestra in her duet with Weaver and the `Inflammatus et accensus' aria.

There is no doubt that the 80-voice, invited choir had been assiduously rehearsed by Marjorie Pettit, the proof being in their meticulous phrasing and consistently clear diction, and climaxing in the glorious fugue that brings this work to an emotional close. This was an illustration, incidentally, that amateurs do not, ever, have to be synonymous with the second-rate.

The late Keith Stanton, co-producer of previous Gilbert & Sullivan productions, and in whose memory this concert was dedicated, would have been so proud.

PATRICIA CALNAN CHORISTER'S VIEW -- An impression by artist/choir member Mr. Vaughan Evans of the scene in St. John's Church on Saturday evening, as violinist Xioa-Dong Wang played the Bruch G minor concerto.