*****

Carmina Burana may come from 12th-century Latin poems stored in a Bavarian monastery but it came to electrifying modern life under the baton of Sandy Chenery with soloists and the Esterhazy Choir.

Performing in the new Sarah Abraham Recital Hall at Brighton College, the musicians began with Constant Lambert’s Rio Grande, a seldom-played jazz cantata from 1927; the exotic and powerful percussion parts gained instant attention as did the ragtime rhythms and syncopated beat.

Percussion was even more notable in the arrangement of Carmina Burana, written for it, with a piano duo. Perhaps the elemental simplicity of Orff’s inspiration was better served by drums, cymbals and xylophones instead of a large modern symphony orchestra, although I might have liked the original dance staging.

The pianists were Nicholas O’Neill and Olga Paliy with percussionists George Barton and Peter Ashwell.

O Fortuna requires an attack, which it got. The familiar explosive staccato was produced with great effect and huge dynamic contrast before the choir proved they could sing gentle unison and indeed everything else required.

Soloist Matthew Sprange’s rousing baritone was matched by the soaring notes of Michelle Walton and the quasi-comical Roasted Swan from tenor Paul Hopwood.