Bermuda Philharmonic Society -- Anglican Cathedral -- April 23 and 24.

The music of English composer Gustav Holst formed the entire programme for the Bermuda Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra's latest offering at the Anglican Cathedral.

His suite, "The Planets'', conducted by Graham Garton, gave the orchestra (supplemented by 23 visiting American players) a chance to shine -- and shine it did.

The technically complex vocal demands of the opening work, "The Hymn of Jesus'', with its text from the apocryphal Acts of St. John, was not such a happy occasion. Set for double chorus with the female semi-chorus sung by the Geoffrey Tankard Foundation Chamber Choir, this unusual and potentially thrilling piece, based on the plainsong ritual melody of the ancient Christian church, is a murderously difficult work. Holst, fascinatingly esoteric and apparently quite happy to remain outside the mainstream of early 20th century music, was not the sort of composer to make allowances for amateurs.

Intricate timings of entrances from the various sections were never quite grasped, the overall effect resulting in a bizarre cacophony of sound which at times could only be described as painful. Here was singing that reverberated not so much with a sense of religious exaltation as with as an embarrassing wailing of women. The glorious dance rhythms, well sustained by the orchestra, were all but lost by this chorus who, from the Latin text of the Prelude through to the final English proclamation of "Glory to Thee, Holy Spirit!'', was either under-rehearsed or hopelessly out of its depth.

There can be no doubt that Graham Garton has worked hard to widen the repertoire of the Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra. Over the past few years we have had numerous "first Bermuda performances'' which certainly attest to the current diversity of the Society's repertoire. One of the problems with this policy -- and "The Hymn of Jesus'' is but one striking example -- is that strictly amateur singers are attempting works far beyond their abilities: we may go further and speculate whether some of these ambitious works actually deter the kind of enthusiastic amateur who typically joins what is stressed as being a "community'' choir.

Even "The Planets'', of which the orchestra gave an impressive account, could only be attempted with the aforementioned visiting key instrumentalists.

Holst began his working life as the village organist and went on to achieve lasting fame for his Planets, an extraordinarily imaginative work which, in many ways now, seems to presage the space age.

First performed by the London Symphony Orchestra in 1918, the relentless marching drama and foreboding of the opening "Mars, Bringer of War'', seemed to many at the time to reflect his personal statement on the First World War; in fact, Holst completed this sketch just before war broke out in 1914.

The change of mood for "Venus'' echoed the serenity associated with the "bringer of peace'' as the gentle call of the horn mingles with the celestial strains of the harps (surely, all eyes as well as ears were entranced by the spectacle of this pair, their hands dancing in perfect unison across the strings). The scherzo section of "Mercury'' is followed by "Jupiter, the bringer of Jollity''. With its slow movement long ago exalted to form the hymn, "I vow to thee my country'', this, in its entirety is also a piece redolent of English folk dances and bitter-sweet frolics on village greens: these players captured both the majesty and innocence of a bygone age.

A sadder tick-tocking off into old age and presumed eternity is the message of Saturn, only to be jolted back to the present with the magical Uranus, introduced by a strident brass section, stirringly played.

Finally, the apotheosis, represented by "Neptune, The Mystic'', where the song becomes abstract and wordless as an unseen choir drifts beyond the music until even their sound fades away into infinity (on Monday, the all-important mystical atmosphere was ruined by a truck rumbling past the Cathedral).

All in all, a fine account of an evocative work. -- Patricia Calnan