Bermuda makes its contibution to this year's Bermuda Festival with Marjorie Pettit's Choral Programme.

The concert, produced by the Gilbert & Sullivan Society, will cater to most classical tastes. Orchestra and choir will unite in Beethoven's glorious Mass in C major and the festive Bach Cantata No. 172, the programme ending with a selection of excerpts from some of the world's best-loved operas.

These will include `Softly Awakes My Heart' from Saint-Saens' `Samson and Delilah', the sextet from Donezetti's `Lucia Di Lammermuir', the thrilling Triumphal March from `Aida' and, responding to numerous requests, Gary Burgess and Brian Zunner will repeat the famous tenors' duet from Bizet's `The Pearl Fishers' (first performed at a Heritage Concert directed by Mrs. Pettit some four years ago).

Other soloists are contralto Jane Farge, guest soprano Mary Kay Barrington, bass Peter Nash and another guest tenor, Jeffrey Halili.

"The Festival organisers prefer an entirely choral concert so I try to do a varied programme that includes both sacred and secular music,'' says Mrs.

Pettit, director and conductor.

"I think it's an attractive, well-balanced programme and it will be the first time that the Mass in C has been performed here.

"It's very, very beautiful -- dramatic and melodic -- and I do think it's essential to produce new works.

It is very well known and frequently performed in major cities overseas. The programme actually opens with the Bach, a brilliant, spectacular work written for Pentecost, so it's very joyful and should provide a good `opener'.'' Noting "a big, rich sound'' is essential for the Beethoven work, Mrs. Pettit reveals that 15 guest instrumentalists from overseas will play in the orchestra which numbers 40 selected players in all, led by Kerry Haslam: "Like me, she is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music. She's very musical, very enthusiastic and -- extremely important! -- very well organised. The Menuhin Foundation, including Kerry is, as usual, very heavily involved.'' Paying tribute to Bermudian Gary Burgess, director of the Buffalo Opera, Mrs.

Pettit says that he has always been a great supporter of Bermuda's musical scene.

"He helps in every possible way to boost standards through his own involvement and the guest singers are all his former students who have attained very high standards. He has a tremendous following here, of course, and he's just such a delightful person to work with.'' Long before she called her first choral rehearsal, Marjorie Pettit spent months memorising every note of each score. "I think very few of the listening public realise the amount of work that has to go into the Beethoven piece, for instance.

"It's been over a year in preparation, organisation and rehearsal -- with rigorous rehearsal sessions since last October.

"The choir (also hand-picked) has worked very hard and I know they will be top quality. I doubt,'' she laughs, "if most people know what's involved in conducting -- I suspect that some think we're just waving our arms about! But to do that, you have to know what every person is doing at the same time.

"By the time of the performance, I have to know the entire score by heart so that it becomes simply a guide -- you don't really have time to look at it, all you are doing is looking at all the cues.'' Paying tribute to Marjorie Stanton, Mrs. Pettit says "she is an exceptional producer in that she has the coolest head I've ever known! "The support system I get from her and the whole Society helps ensure that the local production is as good as the rest of the Festival!'' The Choral Programme takes place at St. John's Church on February 13, 14 and 15.