Once staple choral society fare, Haydn's great oratorio is less frequently performed nowadays. A pity, for this is such a joyous, tuneful and uplifting work. The composer's exotic orchestration so vividly depicts the glories of the Creation that you can hear the lions roaring, the stag neighing and the worms crawling.

One of the most memorable moments is the modulation from the darkness of C Minor to the dawning of light depicted by a stupendous fortissimo C Major chord for orchestra, with the chorus singing And there was Light'.

Last Saturday's splendid performance conducted by Simon Wright, the Festival Chorus's principal conductor, made us hear Haydn's choral masterpiece afresh. This performance can be ranked among the very finest, not only because it was superb technically, but - even more importantly - was possessed of that elusive atmosphere of mystery.

Wright achieved almost perfect balance in the airy acoustic of Leeds Town Hall.

Choral and orchestral textures were cystal clear and the English text was crisply enunciated by the chorus and soloists.

The 43 members of Northern Sinfonia deserve the highest praise for their exquisite colouring and phrasing of orchestral detail which contributed so much to the aura of mystery essential for this work.

The solo arias achieve a simplicity that is both transcendent and deeply moving. The three singers were outstanding. Baritone Roderick Williams, as Archangel Raphael, engaged with the audience and conveyed a sense of nobility and wonderment. Soprano Carolyn Sampson, as Gabriel, was immaculate in her placing of notes and in the florid passages.

In the final part of the oratorio, Williams and Sampson became Adam and Eve - ravishing in their duets By Thee with Bliss' and Dear Companion at Thy Side'. Tenor James Gilchrist invested Uriel's recitatives with a brightness of tone and ringing clarity that was evangelical in its fervour.

A triumphant occasion and one which attracted prolonged and rapturous applause from the capacity audience.