An ambitious programme that embraced Romanticism, old-time American spirituals and the world premiere of a choral symphony made this first Philharmonic concert of the season a memorable one.

The unusually large audience was, presumably, partly drawn by the prospect of hearing the composition by the Society's director Gary Burgess, based on a deeply felt poem by Shangri-La Durham Thompson, originally written to celebrate the victory of the Progressive Labour Party and which is dedicated (with love) to the Premier, Government and People of Bermuda.

Before we reached this climactic work, however, the evening began with passion of an altogether more romantic strain.

Tchaikovsky, perhaps the epitome of Russian Romanticism, has bequeathed some of the world's best loved and well known music. During his lifetime, his lush, melodic compositions were often treated with scorn and, despite his enduring popularity, his work is still regarded with condescension by some of music's `intellectuals'.

His first Piano Concerto in B flat minor, was initially greeted with derision -- until it was given a triumphant American premiere in Boston.

This was the work chosen to open the concert, with Dr. Burgess conducting and the Bermuda School of Music's Karol Sue Reddington as the soloist.

Long a mainstay of the bravura piano repertoire, this work is brimming with sweeping melodic themes rendered in a welter of swooning arpeggios that border on the melodramatic. Dr. Reddington took on this daunting challenge with gusto as she swept through the great opening chords and into the first well-known melody based, as so much of Tchaikovsky's music was, on a Russian folk tune.

If, at times, the full breadth of these frankly scary scales were not always fully defined, this was a fearless rendition.

The slow second movement, particularly beautiful with its plaintive melody and wonderful orchestration in which piano and orchestra seem almost to weep to one another, is followed by the crescendo of the final third: again, the theme is based on a Ukrainian song, and the soloist maintained authority over a soaring orchestra.

My own enjoyment of this piece, incidentally, may have been challenged by the fact that an elderly lady, sitting nearby, sang happily through all the well-known bits -- which, in this case, is most of the concerto.

The appearance of the Morgan State University Choir was a real coup for Dr.

Burgess. He had asked for their assistance in complementing the Philharmonic choir but they did better than that.

A night of romance and passion The whole touring choir arrived with their distinguished conductor Nathan Carter and, before the `main event', gave a special presentation under his baton. Selecting a medley of Early Negro Spirituals, this talented and superbly trained ensemble provided some of the finest singing heard here in a long time.

And so to the final work: The Dawn of a New Day for orchestra, choir and soloists is a remarkable composition and reveals yet another aspect of the diverse talents of Dr. Gary Burgess.

The poem, dramatic in style and lending itself well to the musical form, relates the history of Bermuda as seen through the black community's eyes, from its apparent discovery by Juan de Bermudez, the accidental settlement by Sir George Somers and the ensuing "benign slavery'' that predominated on these "bedevilled isles'' until the eventual arrival of "a new day''.

Composed mostly in the traditional tonal idiom, Dr. Burgess cleverly intersperses the clashing sounds of atonal music to represent the racial discord in Bermudian society.

Gradually, the work progresses through the `Twilight with Tears' leading to an impressive, elegiac passage for soloists and choir as they `rise and greet the dawn', reaching a lyrical climax with the mezzo's `Today beside the waters, and leading into a resounding grand finale (set to a setting of a translation of a Greek text) for orchestra, choir and soloists.

This was an impressive performance by the orchestra and the choir, supplemented, of course, by the Morgan State singers, has never sounded better. In addition, Dr. Burgess imported four extremely accomplished soloists from abroad.

Eva Garajova, now a soloist with the Prague State Opera, has a glorious mezzo-soprano voice trained by him when she was a student at the University of New York at Buffalo. Also a former pupil was Scott Rogers, possessor of a richly coloured bass voice; Phyllis Lewis Hale took the dramatic soprano role which, like a siren of the rocks, virtually screamed out the storm-tossed arrival of Sir George and, finally, Ubaldo Feliciano-Hernandez, a very strong and articulate singer whose good looks should set him in good stead as that undoubted necessity in opera, the romantic tenor.

Despite some misgivings that this very contemporary work would prove too "difficult'' for lay audiences, Gary Burgess must have been well pleased, both by the performers' excellent rendition and by its warm reception from the audience.