It wasn't so long ago that composers like Britten and Stravinsky were considered frightfully modern and a great many listeners, especially in the orchestral world, stayed away from programs that included their music. That's gradually changing, though, and choral ensembles and their audiences have been in the vanguard of presenting and enjoying "modern" music.

Not that the Ottawa Choral Society's program Saturday evening was actually modern; all the composers represented were dead by the mid-70s. Still, their names strike terror in the hearts of some.

Healey Willan (1880-1968) was for a long time Canada's only significant composer, and was especially prominent between the world wars. His music is often used in Anglican churches and in the occasional choral concert, but his star has fallen as far as the general public is concerned. Thus it was good to hear two of his compositions in Saturday's program, even if they didn't compare entirely well with the other offerings.

First there was his Prelude and Fugue in C minor. It's a ponderous piece, but Matthew Larkin, a splendid organist, was able to make it exciting in the fugue at least. Then there was In the Heavenly Kingdom, a more pleasing work. It was conducted by Kevin Reeves while Larkin accompanied on the organ. The Choral Society sang it well as did the members of the Ottawa Regional Youth Choir, whose brief contributions added considerable texture and colour to the undertaking.

The only piece that Larkin conducted was the Symphony of Psalms, a major work by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) in which the rejoicing spirit of the text is not exactly reflected in the severity of the composer's "neo-classical" language. The performance was decent. The singers handled the score's angular harmonies well and the balance was good. The phrasing could have used better defined edges, but it was adequate.

The solo singing in Benjamin Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb was also adequate and sometimes rather more. In other respects the performance was convincing and thoroughly enjoyable. Reeves led a vigorous account and the chorus was at the top of its form. Britten (1913-1936) was a generation younger than the other composers included on the program.

Even better was Laudes Organi by Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967), a piece in praise of the organ, full of advice about how the instrument should be played and even maintained. Committed singing and Larkin's idiomatic organ accompaniment made this the highlight of the evening.