THERE are a number of small choirs in and around York, but none smaller than Paul Gameson's Ebors, who - on Saturday at least - were a mere 14 voices. This is a true chamber group, with its premium on blend and individual effort.

The evening’s Advent Calendar was cleverly arranged around the seven great “O” antiphons, seasonal chants so named because of their opening letter, all being titles of the Messiah. Bob Chilcott’s Advent Antiphons, which are closely based on the plainsong originals, provided a convenient backbone around which were grouped Renaissance and modern works. The Tudor reverence of Ramsey’s O Sapientia rubbed shoulders with Bouzignac’s lusty Tu Quis Es of the same era, an earthy dance. The velvet counterpoint of Parsons’s Ave Maria was heard alongside Ian Colson's newly minted I Heard A Maid, which provided a promising harmonic platform for something more adventurous that never quite materialised.

The choir reached its acme in Victoria's O Magnum Mysterium, which was succulently sustained, with Alleluias that began quietly. Next to it, Morten Lauridsen's setting of the same text sounded positively verbose. The enthusiasm of the five sopranos, for all their delightfully focused tone, occasionally outweighed the other voices.

But a moving reminder of the late-lamented Sir John Taverner came with his transparent carol, The Lamb. Francis Pott’s cool, neatly calculated Balulalow and Chilcott's touching Shepherd’s Carol rounded out a satisfying programme. Chilcott’s antiphon-settings, tastefully delivered, had supplied exactly the right atmosphere.