For their five concerts between now and November, the Ebor Singers are following the theme of musical responses to the arrival of darkness. It promises to be fruitful. Vespers have excited composers throughout the ages, notably Monteverdi.

Away from the church, nocturnes and serenades have been a happy hunting ground for musical suitors since time began.

Darkness is also associated with the last three days before Easter, reflecting Christ’s Passion, with the rite of Tenebrae (Latin = darkness) involving the gradual extinction of candles. Lamentations are part of this process.

Victoria’s six settings of these for Maundy Thursday and Holy Saturday featured in Saturday’s programme. It was given in the congenial setting of All Saints, Pavement, which proved excellently suited to these 14 clean-toned voices. They were led from within the group by Paul Gameson.

Although all were marked by superior musicianship and impeccable tuning, the Saturday lamentations proved the more engaging. The magical change of direction in Aleph (No 2) and the progressively higher soprano entries in No 3 were special moments.

The accompanying 12 short motets (Responsories) amplified the Passion narrative: notably effective were Una Hora (with basses ‘sleeping’) and a movingly restrained O Vos Omnes (All you who pass by).

Not all endings were neatly tailored and the altos might have been more incisive at cadences. But these are minor cavils. Allegri’s Miserere and Lotti’s treacherous Crucifixus – almost as convincing – made pleasing conclusions to each half of a most impressive evening.