On a typically rain-soaked St Swithun's Day it was a delight to listen to the varied programme of a capella choral singing presented by the Beaminster based Parnham Voices; a programme which lost no opportunity to cast ironic glances at the unseasonal weather by including such pieces as Elgar's As Torrents in Summer and Guy Turner's magical arrangement of Harold Arlen's Over the Rainbow.

This choir excels in its warmth of tone, its control and its versatility. The group is superbly balanced and responds subtly to every nuance of interpretation and phrasing indicated by John Mingay their director, who conducts with effortless elegance and supreme musicality.

The programme contained such diverse pieces as the intricate Ascendit Deus by Peter Philips - a Tudor anthem demonstrating the choir's dynamic range and rhythmic intensity, a delicate Ave Maris Stella by the Norwegian composer Greig - which showed the soprano and alto sections at their best, the passionate Yugoslav Folk Songs by Seiber sung with real fire, a Carl Orff Catullan Lyric Odi et Amo displaying depth of tone from the men and the ruefully humorous American spiritual Didn't It Rain?

The singers were equally at home with a rainbow of languages: French, Russian, Latin, Italian and English, and varied the mood skilfully as anthems gave way seamlessly to madrigal, spiritual, glee song or modern musical.

Outstanding numbers were If Ye Love Me by Tallis, Nolo Mortem Peccatoris by Morley and Charles Wood's Full Fathom Five: all pieces I have heard the group sing many times before, but which seem to get better with each hearing.

Parnham Voices go from strength to strength and one would have to travel a good distance to find their equal. John Mingay is to be congratulated for his consummate musicianship and his ability to inspire the very best from his excellent singers.