Brahms, the nostalgic classical-romantic, and Stravinsky, the sharp-edged, forward-looking iconoclast, seem to inhabit different musical worlds, and rarely turn up together in concert. But here, the combination of Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms and Brahms's German Requiem worked surprisingly well.

It was fascinating to discover how much the two works had in common. The sound of the language - Latin for Stravinsky, German for Brahms - was clearly an imaginative spring board for both composers. And both works are steeped in the musical past: Bach looms large, especially in Stravinsky's fugal second movement and in the granite-like fugue of the German Requiem.

The Symphony of Psalms started at a cracking pace. It took the Symphony Chorus, Youth Chorus and Orchestra a little while to settle into Sakari Oramo's tempo, but towards the end of the movement the energy and intensity built impressively. In the finale the al legro sections were vigorous, while the concluding hymn was ravishing.

Brahms's German Requiem doesn't always come off well in concert, particularly when it's performed with soggy reverence. Oramo didn't hurry the music along, but he shaped it so well that it kept moving, even in the slowest sections. The choral singing was firm, though the adult sopranos of the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus weren't always as pure as the younger voices of the Youth Chorus in the Stravinsky. As for the soloists: baritone Dietrich Henschel made up in expressiveness for what he lacked in vocal presence; soprano Mary Plazas made a beautiful sound and phrased exquisitely, though she tended to sing fractionally behind the beat. But ultimately the effect was positive and thought-provoking: there's a lot more life and originality in this music than most performances would have us believe.

***** Unmissable **** Recommended *** Enjoyable ** Mediocre * Terrible