…this concert marked David Hill’s first appearance as ‘the Phils’ music director; a post he occupies concurrently with the music directorships of the Bach Choir and St John’s College Cambridge. The members of his Leeds Choir are going to have a very fruitful relationship with their new conductor. This was abundantly clear to those of us who were able to witness the sheer pleasure on Hill’s face at the crisp and wonderfully expressive singing that he coaxed from his choir and the splendid Sheffield Philharmonics Chorus…

The airy textures in the Requiems most well-known number, the consoling ‘How loverly are thy dwellings fair’ were a revelation. So too were the looks of enjoyment on the faces of the choirs as they sang it.