What do composers Heinrich Schütz (born 1585) and James MacMillan (born 1959) have in common? Perhaps not a lot, but Choros conductor Janet Lincé decided to test the water and alternate them in one concert - the idea coming, she told us beforehand, from "a chance mention of the two composers in the same sentence".

One thing soon became apparent: both composers keep choirs on their toes. Schütz's Ich bin eine rufende Stimme requires alert tempo changes, for instance, while MacMillan's Tremunt videntes angeli makes maximum use of both the top and the bottom ends of all four vocal registers. Skilful painting of sound pictures is also involved, with Choros producing a rich, full-blooded, and fast account of the Schütz (Lincé plainly doesn't believe in the dry-as-dust approach of some 'authentic' interpreters of early music), and duly delivering some mighty crescendos in the MacMillan - plus a considerable sense of awe in lines like "Angels tremble at the sight of mortal man's lot overturned".

The next pair of pieces, Schütz's Ego dormio (SWV 63 & 64) and MacMillan's Seinte Mari, pointed up sharp contrasts. Choros produced their trademark warm, yet crisp and transparent tone in the Schütz, while the MacMillan required the singers to go absolutely full belt one minute, and deathly quiet the next. Seinte Mari introduced another MacMillan feature, his exploitation of some thrilling and varied organ tone colours. Rod Varty made Exeter's organ sound as if it was designed for the job - even though it is really voiced to emulate a 19th-century French romantic instrument.

The two composers went head to head in the Magnificat, with Schütz's double-choir setting sounding joyful, but a little colourless at times against MacMillan - his "He hath put down the mighty from their seat" sent out a really chilling "And let that be a lesson to you" message. Altogether the two composers turned out to be distinctly stimulating, if not always natural, bedfellows.