Vespers, Op.37 by Rachmaninov, sung by the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs with their conductor Mats Nilsson, completed Sunday's musical offerings in sounds of transporting beauty.

Composed in fifteen sections for the All Night Vigil, a number of the intrinsic melodies are based on traditional ones of the Kiev and Znamen. Nilsson guided the choirs with a flexibility of rhythm ebbing and flowing easily, as the text suggested.

Unaccompanied, and sung in the original Russian, this fine combination of one hundred and twenty voices reproduced sounds of astounding authenticity. Their intonation was infallible, and the clarity of the intricate and skilful vocal orchestration was delivered with rare spirituality.

Superb part singing (usually eight) was faultless, the blend was balanced and beautiful always, and chords of luxuriously close harmony were keenly perceived.

The polyphonic texture excelled in its variety of expression from the most elusive pianissimo achieved at the beginning of Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant to the most sonorous fortissimo of Glory to God in the highest.

Cadences which lingered and faded to silence, iridescent chords of radiance as victory was won in Today is salvation come to the world, the repetitive reverberation of Alleluia in Praise ye the name of the Lord, the resonating episodes of solo singing which could have been by genuine Russians, and those fabulous low basses who sank right down to a bottom B flat, were all major factors in the culmination of this profound performance of Rachmaninov's inspired composition.