LANCASTER – Many memorable concerts have been presented at lovely St. Mary Church, and Thursday night’s opening of the Lancaster Festival 2006 surely was one of them.

Honoring the 250 th birthday of the "Immortal Mozart," maestro Gary Sheldon, guest artists, the Lancaster Festival Orchestra and the Lancaster Chorale Festival Singers gave an inspired and inspiring performance of well-chosen selections.

Much Mozart has been heard since the beginning of the year, but can there be too much Mozart when it is so carefully and beautifully rendered? Sheldon smartly steered clear of repeating works already heard during other central Ohio concerts, offering instead excerpts of both famous and lesserknown repertoire — instrumental on the first half and vocal on the second.

Eine kleine Nachtmusik might be the one piece by this composer that classical-music aficionados have heard a few too many times, yet in Sheldon and the orchestra’s spirited performance, the oft-played "night music" sounded as fresh and bright as morning sunlight.

One almost wished that the entire Sinfonia concertante for Violin and Viola had been played, given the masterful musicality of concertmaster Michael Davis and the sonorous viola of Paul Ehrlich.

The concerto portion of the program continued with the last two movements of one of the composer’s beloved pieces. Hearing the Concerto for Flute and Harp is to believe that, in heaven, the angels really do play Mozart. With the orchestra, harpist Anastasia Jellison and flutist Margaret Swinchoski in perfect balance, the subtle details and the glorious arching melodies could be discerned easily.

Two young professional singers showing plenty of potential joined the orchestra for opera arias and the famous duet La ci darem la mano from Don Giovanni. Laura Smith’s lovely, clear soprano has personality, used to enjoyable effect in Durch Zartlichkeit from The Abduction from the Seraglio. Bryan Glenn Davis’ booming bass-baritone offers more power than control at the moment, but he made a positive impression in Deh vieni alla finestra, also from Don Giovanni.

The Lancaster Chorale Festival Singers, in fine form, sang with resounding commitment and superb ensemble in the closing selections with the orchestra, excerpts from the Solemn Vespers of the Confessor.

The lively acoustical environment of the church can be problematic for some music. For Mozart, it proved ideal.

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