The command 'to praise' was the order of the evening on Thursday February 19, when the Bermuda Chamber Choir and the specially-formed Bermuda Festival Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Ryan Ellis, exhorted the audience to ignore the stormy weather and bleak financial forecast and celebrate joyously the better elements of the human experience.

In addition to recognising 400 years of human habitation in Bermuda, the concert commemorated two great composers: Handel and Haydn. The works of both composers have transcended time and national frontiers and were enjoyed by an audience many miles and many years distant from their origins. The Coronation Anthem 'The King Shall Rejoice' by Handel celebrates new beginnings, originally the marking of the new reign of George II, while Haydn's 'Missa in Tempore Belli' ('Mass in a Time of War') seemed a particularly prescient choice of Choir Director Ryan Ellis, given the economic turmoil of the times. Sandwiched between these two, the third piece, Mozart's 'Piano Concerto No. 23', was a delightful piece exploring a range of emotions.

The Coronation Anthem opened a little shakily, the trumpets a little insecure in the opening fanfare, and through the first movement the orchestra rather overwhelmed the choir; however as they progressed through the movements the choir gained strength and by the grandiose third movement reflected adequately the "blessings of goodness" while the "crown of pure gold" was set upon the royal head with the dazzling reappearance of the brass instruments. The piece concluded with a lively Alleluia, the orchestra and massed voices of the choir creating a rich, dense sound. A surprising and somewhat amusing element was the "ha ha" that periodically decorated the final syllable of the word "alleluia".

The piano concerto, with Oliver Brugada Grant at the piano, was pure joy to listen to. Grant's mastery of the piece was evident, technically and expressively. He and the orchestra moved adroitly from the bright, sunny Allegro to the pensive, slightly melancholic Adagio and concluded with a cheerful, lively Allegro assai. It was a timely and welcome reminder that even with winter gales blowing and the economy shrinking, there is still much to enjoy in life.

Mr. Ellis, who was also conductor for the evening, was, I believe, saving the best for last. Haydn's 'Missa' was a very dynamic piece, with abrupt changes in tempo and style, and the choristers were attentive to subtleties of articulation, phrasing and balance. They sang confidently, filling the auditorium with sound. Written in 1796 when Napoleon's army was forcing the Austrians to retreat from Italy and threatening Vienna, the 'Missa' contains a vibrant Gloria and defiant Credo, which ends in a whirlwind of voices, timpani and trumpet. The Benedictus allowed the soloists to shine, notably soprano Ruth Stovell and bass Peter Nash. In the concluding movement, Agnus Dei, the timpani marks the steady approach of the enemy troops, before the trumpets blast and the choir prays for peace.

The efforts of the choir and orchestra were acknowledged with warm applause from an appreciative audience, and by the end of the evening we had to be reminded by Mr. Ellis that this was not a professional ensemble – that they had day jobs – something that was difficult to believe. That they enjoyed what they were doing was evident, and was expressed with an unexpected encore, a section from Mendelssohn's oratorio 'Elijah'. Indeed there was much to praise about the programme 'Laudate'.