BEDALE Festival Choir certainly hit the right note on Saturday, when members sang to a large audience of fine music fans.

The music, suitably appropriate for the season, it being Holy Week, began with the well-loved Ave Verum by Mozart.

The balance of the choir was so sharp that it sounded, at times, as if there were only four voices, something very rare in amateur choirs.

The crescendos and diminuendos in this piece were applied to all the right places giving an exciting and purposeful meaning to the emotional context of this beautiful and moving item.

An excellent start to what turned out to be fantastic evening of choral expertise.

This was followed with Cantique de Jean Racine, by Gabriel Faure.

A setting that evokes memories of Monks singing vespers while the sun sets during a balmy evening. The mood of this piece lifts the heart and gently rests it back so that you feel spiritually moved, yet contented.

Finally, we were treated to the magnificent Faure Requiem.

A work composed possibly in response to the death of his father.

A short Requiem by some standards, but a firm favourite with the audience, who lapped up the wonderful sections, which make up whole piece.

Special mention has to go to its two soloists: Sarah Elizabeth Smart and Richard D Boyton.

Sarah Elizabeth, whose soprano voice was as pure as a treble – (a boy soprano) – and a welcome change for a soprano with no vibrato (quiver in the voice), gave a clear and resonating rendition which floated over our heads, to make the Pie Jesu a heartfelt plea which almost had me in tears.

I have seldom been moved quite like this.

In contrast, Richard’s rich and velvety baritone voice gave depth of feeling and commanded ones attention each time he sang.

His ability to make his singing voice speak in a dramatic way can only be achieved with training, and it is obvious that Bedale is blessed to have in its midst, a baritone that would and should be professional.

The choir must be congratulated on such a brilliant evening of superb musicality.