ENTITLED Baroque and Celtic Charms, last night's programme from the

John Currie stable blended an intriguing mix of the familiar and the

unknown. Standards from Vivaldi and Bach preceeded the surprise --

Morris Pert's Ancient Rites.

Commissioned in the early eighties by The John Currie Singers, Ancient

Rites (subtitled Nine Incantations from the Hebridean Isles), is scored

for 16 solo voices and a small string orchestra. Inspired by the

nineteenth-century Gaelic manuscript Carmina Gadelica, the piece

juxtaposes a potentially dangerous combination of the sacred and the

secular.

Last night's was an atmospheric performance casting enchanting spells

and dropping moments of magic. Four solo episodes for soprano

Caroline-Louise Fairbrother, mezzo Colette Ruddy, tenor Dennis Haggerty

and bass John Beazley projected simple, affecting folk tunes. Ruddy's

voice fell like a breath of fresh air -- rich and impassioned, her

singing came deep from within. Choral sections revealed a versatile

ensemble.

Earlier Vivaldi's Gloria failed to shine like the baroque jewel that

it really is. Dragging tempi and lacklustre expression produced a

somewhat pedantic performance save Ruddy's divine Domine Deus. With

obbligato roles for oboe, trumpet, and harpsichord, Barbara Rhodes,

Sandy McGrattan, and John Langdon respectively were able to reveal their

instrumental virtuosity.

The same cannot be said for violinists Clive Thomas and Brian Hale --

their execution of Bach's Double Concerto left much to be desired. Both

able soloists in their own right, the balance was all wrong, Bach's

delightful outer dance movements failing to come to life.