CLASSICAL MUSIC / Upbeat: Mass action

DEPARTMENT of oaks and acorns: when the Manchester- based musician David Golightly rescued a collapsing tour of Britain by the Soglassie Male Voice Choir of St Petersburg last year, he found himself in a relationship with unexpected creative consequences. First came a setting of Pushkin which the choir toured in Germany as well as Britain. Then the choir asked him to compose a Mass for this year's St Petersburg Festival and programmed it for a premiere last Thursday.

The Mass incorporates poems by Golightly's teaching colleague Steve Hobson, and has expanded to symphonic scale. In turn the performing end of the project came up with a double-sized choir, a broadcast, and a second performance in next October's Festival of British Music. Now there are discussions about a Christmas musical for children and an opera. How many tour managers fall on their feet like that?