
Schreier, a seasoned conductor of large-scale choral repertoire, led the most joyous and cheerful Messiah I believe I've ever heard – even the minor-key numbers had a sunny undercurrent. Tempos were often moderate by ‘authentic’ standards, yet the rhythmic underpinning and phrasing made the music seem to go by more swiftly; the strongly articulated string-playing was subtle but not overly fussy in terms of dynamics and articulation.

The young singers of the Westminster Symphonic Choir rival (and frequently surpass) their professional counterparts in artistic quality, and their singing was not only excellent but rich with enthusiastic energy – from the first syllable of ‘And the glory of the Lord’ to the joyous grandeur of the final ‘Amen’. Schreier kept more of a rein on ‘Hallelujah!’ than most conductors, which lent the ensuing Part Three the emphasis it often lacks. This was a musical highlight of 2011.