At first sight, the Woodstock Music Society’s programme last weekend of Handel and Tippett looked an odd pairing. What possible link could there be between these two apparently diametrically different composers? Well, quite a lot, as it happens. Tippett was a great admirer of Handel, and his A Child of Our Time, which formed the second half of the evening, was deliberately structured along the same lines as Messiah with its three distinctive sections. And poignantly, the middle section of Handel’s anthem, Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened, which opened the evening, expresses the same sentiment as A Child of Our Time, with its reflection on justice and judgement.

In mood, of course, the two composers couldn’t be more different; Handel is generally joyous and uplifting, while Tippet’s oratorio is full of anger and despair. Under Paul Ingram’s energetic and passionate conducting, the choir and orchestra of Woodstock Music Society defined these differences clearly and eloquently. Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened – one of the four Coronation anthems written for George II – was delivered in appropriately buoyant style, showing full appreciation of the splendour and opulence of the music, but with an appropriately contrasting mood for that contemplative middle section. The orchestra followed with a bright, articulate performance of the Water Music suite, which captured the stately elegance of contemporary royal occasions.

And so to the Tippett – and what a stunning performance this was, packed with emotion and dramatic intensity. The spirituals were particularly stirring, with the choir making full use of dynamics to give a powerful and fervent delivery. The choir having dispensed with scores, their voices carried more directly into the audience. Among the soloists, soprano Claire Seaton gave a particularly moving performance, capturing the anguish and heartache of the mother, but there were strong contributions, too, from tenor Richard Rowntree, mezzo Susanna Spicer and bass-baritone Christopher Foster.