Without doubt, this year's festival, being overseen by artistic director Geraint Bowen for the first time, was an enormous personal triumph for him.

Within Bowen's planned programme, Berlioz, who is celebrating his 200th anniversary, was represented by two important works. In L'enfance du Christ, conducted by Stephen Cleobury, the magnificent chorus, sensitive to the demands of expressive dynamic detail and exquisite ensemble writing, transcended all its difficulties skilfully, especially in the quiet and unaccompanied episodes.

Les nuits d'ete, Berlioz's song cycle for soloists and orchestra, was performed under Andrew Nethsingha's baton and reached zeniths and depths of passion.

Another major highlight was this year's festival commission Air and Angels, by Anthony Powers, given its world premiere on Thursday evening.

Overall this piece was rather an onslaught in sound, but there was a beautifully-textured section Break of Day. Here the composer had orchestrated and set the semi-chorus and soloists in a lighter and more translucent style. Geraint Bowen conducted this piece with clarity and authority.

The previous evening, performed with the fine Royal Philharmonic Orchestra also, Vernon Handley had conducted an outstanding delivery of Finzi's Violin Concerto with Tasmin Little the eloquent soloist, alongside Elgar's Symphony No 1 in A flat.

In this concert, as in Thursday's, the brass section excelled.

Many recitals and related talks were on offer too.

One such was a recital by Nathan Vale (tenor) and Paul Plummer (piano). In a comprehensive and challenging programme of English songs Nathan included a splendid reading of Finzi's A Young Man's Exhortation, wherein The Sigh was most evocative.

In David Owen Norris's piano recital, Sonata-Symphony by Bax contained a wonderfully poised middle section of serenity and beauty, between two outer sections of impressive pyrotechnics.

Friday's recital by the Dante Quartet (performing the same concert as on the previous evening in Malvern) was a distinguished delivery of almost faultless string quartet playing.

Ensemble and tuning, perception of the composers' idiom and stylish delivery were significant in works by Rubbra, Elgar and Beethoven.

An organ recital by Roy Massey, hosted by Tewkesbury Abbey included Atkins's arrangement of Elgar's Sonata No 2 in B flat. Adrian Spillett's percussion ensemble 4-MALITY gave a spectacular display of rhythm and tonal colour.

Verdi's operatically conceived Requiem concluded the festival in magnificent fashion.

Afterwards cathedral bells rang out and a spectacular display of fireworks followed, thus ending a week of perfect summer weather spent in Hereford, and finding vivification through music.