I should be sorry if I only entertain the public,” Handel once wrote. “I wish to make them better.” In that case, he would surely have approved of Saturday’s concert at Harris Manchester College, which successfully ticked both boxes. Not only did the evening entertain, but all the proceeds went to the Archway Foundation, an Oxford-based charity that offers friendship and support to people suffering from loneliness.

That alone would have made the concert worth attending; the fact that this was also an attractive programme, which was skilfully handled by a trio of talented performers, was a bonus. In Songs from Around the World, soprano Tatiana Soloviova and bass Christian Fellner brought us a selection of solos and duets from Russia, Germany, France, Austria, Czechoslovakia, America and England. Some were familiar – such as Purcell’s glorious Sound the Trumpet from Come Ye Sons of Art, Mozart’s exhilarating Alleluia from the motet Exultate, Jubilate (written, incredibly, when the composer was only 17) and Brahms’s tender Cradle Song. But there were some surprises, too, including Saint-Saens’ little-known setting of Ave Maria, and Russian songs by the likes of Gurilyov, Glinka and Tchaikovsky, sung in their original language.

The two voices blended beautifully in the duets, with both singers showing great sensitivity to each other’s voices. But both produced some fine solo work, too. Tatiana’s Alleluia was suitably joyous, and she drew laughter from the audience with her nicely comedic rendition of Cole Porter’s The Tale of the Oyster. For me, though, it was Christian’s gorgeously mellow tones that really thrilled, whether he was singing the likes of Mozart and Schubert, or the contemporary songs of American Ned Rorem. There was some sterling work, too, from Harris Manchester’s own director of music, Myles Hartley, as accompanist.

This was a lovely, inspirational evening, and it was good to see a charity event so well attended. To find out more about the Archway Foundation, visit www.archwayfoundation.org.uk