EVERY November, York University's Department of Music stages some music theatre, new or old, as part of its Practical Project. The entire department pools its resources for the occasion.

This year the spotlight has fallen on the court of Charles II.

A musical day in his life is followed by England's earliest surviving opera, John Blow's Venus and Adonis. Basic standards are extremely high. There is a first-class, period-style orchestra under Jonathan Wainwright that makes hay, not only with the Blow, but with suites and masquerades by Grabu and Purcell.

The chorus is right on the ball, too. Helped by exquisitely detailed, not to say sumptuous, costumes, they exhibit a level of balletic skill - with few exceptions - that gives attractive life to John Harrison's fluent choreography.

The men are fashionably bewigged, the ladies are more likely to be flicking stray tresses from their eyes, a less courtly gesture.

What is not so evenly impressive is the quality of the vocal solos. In the Blow, Alexander Hargreaves is a superb Adonis, his clear-toned baritone projecting every word with clarity.

Sophie Jones's otherwise engaging Venus needs stronger diction, Stephanie Steward-Hodges as Cupid even more so.

Though there is cute comedy from the Cupids, exaggerated diction has to be the watchword in a hall that is never kind to text. When this cast takes it aboard, the evening will be a winner. Another show tonight.

Updated: 11:24 Thursday, November 18, 2004