ON April 1, I took a little quiet time in Hereford Cathedral.

It turned out to be far more than that. I am primarily a jazz and soul music person, and my only previous consciousness of choral music had been limited to the Christmas radio broadcast from King's College Chapel, a sort of seasonal background to a great deal of cooking. A seamless sound and pleasant, but rather monotonous for my own taste.

On this occasion, however, I was lucky enough to catch a concert given by the Stonehaven Choir.

Their first number, Delyn Aur, moved me to tears. Each voice had its own individual sweetness and strength, quite distinct from the others, yet harmonising wonderfully, creating the most subtle resonances within the soundbox of the old stones.

Does the Cathedral have exceptional acoustic properties? Such amazing changes. The overall sound, balanced but dynamic, had the same effect on me as Gorecki's 3rd symphony, a lifting of the spirit above and beyond the ordinary. Harp of God is right.

I now understand the purpose of sacred music. It cleanses the mind and soothes the spirit. To quote from one of the readings - in themselves a work of art : "There is not any musical instrument comparable to the voices of men..."

Congratulations to the Choir and to the Choirmaster, your music has been a personal revelation to me. Also to the Cathedral, always, for creating the possibility of such revelations in such a great building, surrounded by cascades of Easter lilies.

These things make the rest of the busy world more bearable.

Sue Bradshaw,

The Old Post Office, Kentchurch.