Is Handel’s Messiah an oratorio, or is it a hugely popular piece of musical theatre with the strongest of religious storylines? Either way, should the composer have been gazing down on this performance, he would surely have been delighted to see and hear two Reverend trumpeters (Revds Stephen Johnson and Jonathan Mobey) powering their way through (of course) The trumpet shall sound.

Above all, Messiah should sound as if the chorus is really enjoying its work. There was absolutely no problem on that front: this was billed as the official inaugural concert of the 50-strong St Andrew’s Singers, and my goodness they didn’t half hit their entries with precision, and sing out with gusto. Surely He hath borne our griefs began with a wallop, while For we like sheep fairly bounced along – and particular praise to the tenors and basses, who were the very opposite of the shy, whispering flock so often encountered. In charge was St Andrew’s musical director Peter Gunstone. I gathered from a neighbour that he is recently appointed – the programme was bereft of biographical information, referring you instead to a website, which had been wiped when I consulted it, less than 24 hours later. But whatever Gunstone’s previous experience, he plainly knows how to pull a performance together. Parts 2 and 3 only were given, so the opening chorus was Behold, the Lamb of God. This was delivered in the measured, stately fashion of yesteryear, and when the following He was despised began in similar vein, I feared the worst. But then Gunstone whipped up the tempo most effectively.

Soloists Rachael Johnson, Leonie Hamway, Edmund Hastings and Jon Stainsby had one or two technical challenges to surmount (as did the violins), but they sang with confidence, and words were impressively clear. This was true of the choir too: diction was still impeccable as the final triumphant Worthy is the Lamb was reached.