It was a brave decision by Schola Cantorum to use its own choir members for the solo parts in Handel's Israel in Egypt, rather than engage the services of professional soloists. But was it a wise decision? Was this, I wonder, why the Sheldonian was barely half full on Saturday night, or was it simply that potential audience members were too preoccupied with forthcoming May Day revels? Whatever the reason, this was not, for me, one of Schola's best performances. It was technically assured, as always, and there was the usual fastidious attention to intonation, dynamics and interpretation. There were moments of great energy, too, with plenty of attack and some good, crisp entries. But somehow it seemed to lack their customary sparkle.

Perhaps the size of the choir had something to do with it. For an epic work like this, more voices would have given the piece the fuller sound it needed. Unusually, the singers' diction suffered, too; there were far too many missing "Ds" at the ends of lines. I also had the feeling that the singers were beginning to tire towards the end. The orchestra was impressive, though, neatly drawing attention to some of Handel's delicious melodies and rhythms.

The various soloists sang creditably enough, with warmth and conviction; I particularly enjoyed the soprano duet, The Lord is my strength, by Kari Moffatt and Rebecca Lea, the two voices blending beautifully. Tenor Cameron Hepburn made a shaky start with his first recitative, but increased in confidence as the performance progressed, and Catherine Pope sang sweetly in Thou shalt bring them in. But only James Ballance and Thomas West, in the baritone duet The Lord is a man of war, sang with sufficient strength and maturity, making this number one of the highlights of the evening.

Despite my reservations, this was an enjoyable enough performance; it just needed professional soloists to give it that extra zest.