‘The more observant among you will notice that there’s no orchestra tonight,” Brian Kay commented during a witty speech at the start of Burford Singers’ concert. What they had instead was the rarity of a Pleyel double piano, played by acclaimed pianists David Nettle and Richard Markham, in tandem with Julian Elloway on the harmonium.

The evening opened with the world premiere of Nettle and Markham’s arrangement of Rossini’s William Tell overture which, stripped down to just the double piano and harmonium, allowed this vivid evocation of the Swiss Alps to shine through with exceptional clarity. This was a compelling performance, designed to complement the main piece, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle.

The “poor little mass” as Rossini disparagingly described it, was originally scored for two pianos and harmonium, and it was good to hear the piece performed with this minimalist accompaniment, which again lent greater clarity to the melodic and harmonic inventiveness; definitely a case of less is more.

Contrary to what the title suggests, the Petite Messe Solennelle is neither small nor solemn; instead, it is clearly the work of a man who, by his own admission, was more at home composing for the operatic stage. Both choir and soloists seized on the dramatic nature of the work with relish, delivering their parts with style and panache. The choir performed with their customary precision and polish; diction was clear throughout, entries were crisp and they made a lovely sound.

Among a strong soloist line-up, I particularly enjoyed the deep, resonant bass of Michel da Souza, and his powerful, authoritative Quonium was one of the evening’s highlights. Soprano Linda Richardson impressed too, her operatic experience evident in her heartfelt delivery of Crucifixus and O Salutaris, and she and mezzo Stephanie Lewis sounded sublime in the duet Qui Tollis. There was also plenty of operatic clout from tenor Ben Thapa in the glorious Domine Deus. Wonderful.