THE immediate talking-point after Verdi's Requiem was not the fire-alarm scare that had caused the audience of 2,000 to decamp into the street halfway through. What had really excited listeners was the stunningly assured performance by a little-known soprano.

Verdi makes impossible demands of his four soloists, requiring both operatic power and delicate finesse, voices able to do battle with a thunderous orchestra one moment and hold a stratospheric note at minimal volume (quadruple piano) the next. Many famous singers have fallen foul of its pitfalls.

But Viki Hart seemingly knows no fear. She must also be physically strong, for she is short and slim, without the physique you normally associate with such a role. But her soprano shone like a beacon above the mighty forces below, a choir of nearly 250 and an orchestra of 90, under an unflappable Peter Seymour. This could be the performance that makes her name.

With one exception, the other soloists were outstanding. Yvonne Seymour's mezzo- soprano was more than equal to her role, firm throughout her range, while Joseph Cornwell went as far as any English tenor could be expected towards sounding Italian. Julian Tovey's bass lacked focus. Choir and orchestra alike laid down a robust marker in the Dies Irae, even if the basses were slow to assert themselves. Thereafter the work's fearful excitement was thrillingly evoked, an atmosphere that was quickly recaptured after the alarm.

The Press. 20th June 2008

It could well have been the heat of this performance of Verdi's Requiem that caused the fire alarm to sound and a packed Minster to be temporally evacuated shortly before the close of the work. It was a great pity, as with urgent tempos the conductor, Peter Seymour, had been shaping the finest live account of the score I have heard in decades. He had in the University Choir an ensemble that is far more than a match for the famous named Yorkshire choirs, the fresh sounding sopranos so utterly secure, and the male voices thundering out the Dies Irae to bring a chilling thrill to the moment.

The four soloists believed in every word and sang them with a meaning and sincerity you very rarely encounter. The bright young voice of Viki Hart matched perfectly with the outstanding mezzo of Yvonne Seymour, while the ideally balanced voices of Joseph Cornwell and Julian Tovey were a joy to hear. Apart from one insecure moment in a notorious cello passage, the orchestra had the quality of a well-schooled professional outfit, the beautiful sound of the hushed violins in the opening bars typical of the excellent playing throughout.

David Denton, The Yorkshire Post. 20th June 2008.