It takes more than a bit of snow to deter Oxford audiences, and Summertown Choral Society must have been relieved on Saturday night to see St Andrew’s Church more or less full for their performance of Bach’s B Minor Mass, despite increasingly treacherous conditions. In the only concession to the weather, the interval was reduced from 20 minutes to five, so that we could all get away earlier. Otherwise, it was business as usual.

Perhaps in a gesture of defiance to the weather, this seemed a particularly spirited and heartfelt performance. Conductor Duncan Saunderson was bristling with purpose as he took to the stand, and the 130-strong choir was in fine fettle, delivering the choruses with commitment and enthusiasm.

The opening Kyrie eleison set the standard, and they impressed throughout with some wonderful sounds, imbuing the Gloria in excelsis with appropriate exuberance, while displaying warmth and sensitivity in numbers such as the Sanctus and Dona nobis pacem.

There were some gorgeous sounds from the Summertown Players, too, with some notable contributions from various solo woodwind players, and an exquisite solo violin accompaniment to Laudamus te by leader Simon Jones.

Among the solo voices, counter tenor Stephen Burrows stood out; his Agnes Dei was sublime. But there were strong contributions, too, from bass George Coltart and tenor Guy Cutting, and some lovely, if not very strong, soprano solos from sisters Helen and Kate Ashby.