The 18th and 19th centuries saw Vienna take centre stage in the classical music world, as its commercial successes were reflected in an increased demand for musical and theatrical entertainment. Many of the world's greatest composers lived and worked in Vienna at some stage - including Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Lizst and Brahms - creating something of a cultural scene of immense richness and variety.

The COC's concert last weekend captured the spirit of these heady days with a Schubertiad' - a recreation of the kind of programme that would have been popular in Schubert's day. First up was the Geistliches Lied (Sacred Song) by Brahms, one of the later Vienna composers, and this short but structurally complex piece was an effective curtain-raiser', setting the standard for the evening with a clear, eloquent and well-controlled delivery.

Mozart's Missa Brevis in B flat is a delightful miniature, more secular than sacred, with the composer's operatic skills very much in evidence. The choir tackled the piece with perhaps just a little too much solemnity, but there were some moments of real joie de vivre, and Eleanor Meynell contributed a sparkling and expressive account of the soprano solo lines. Other solos were taken a little tentatively, but competently enough, by various members of the choir.

The second half consisted of a selection of songs by Haydn and Schubert, the former bubbling with Haydn's characteristic sense of fun, the latter notable for their distinctive, dance-like melodies, and all tackled with enthusiasm and precision by the choir. Sandwiched in between was Haydn's Lark' Quartet, stylishly played by London-based string quartet fourte, who were clearly relishing the composer's musical humour and glorious, rustic melodies and rhythms. The finale, nicknamed The Hornpipe', was a tour de force, delivered with energy and panache.

This was an exceptionally well-considered programme, handled by singers and instrumentalists with loving care, under the competent guidance of conductor Duncan Aspen.