By Janelle Gelfand
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The most enchanting moment at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's concert on Friday came at the end of Poulenc's Gloria, with the May Festival Chorus and soprano Janice Chandler.

Ms. Chandler, a singer of uncommon finesse, soared radiantly over the orchestra, and the piece was brought to a magical conclusion by guest conductor Robert Porco. The moment capped a somewhat uneven concert in Music Hall devoted to choral greats from two ends of the spectrum - Poulenc and J.S. Bach's Magnificat, neither heard at the CSO since the Thomas Schippers era in the '70s. The evening opened with another musical gem, J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 4.

Mr. Porco, a respected choral conductor who is director for the May Festival and the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, has lately been increasing his time on orchestra podiums. He seemed most at home in Poulenc's Gloria, where the orchestra captured the blustery and sometimes irreverent wit of the French composer, and his chorus summoned brilliant textures.

Ms. Chandler sang with beauty and simplicity. The "Domine Deus" was deeply felt, and she navigated Poulenc's difficult leaps effortlessly. The work flowed well, from the chorus' bright "Gloria," to its gentle conclusion.

A host of soloists with connections to the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music joined Ms. Chandler in Bach's Magnificat. The reduced CSO included two oboes d'amore, a portative organ and piccolo trumpets.

Ms. Chandler's aria, "Quia respexit," with its poignant oboe d'amore solo (Lon Bussell), was one of the high points.

Stacey Rishoi displayed a rich mezzo and warm stage presence in her aria, "Esurientes," with its charming flute obbligato (Randolph Bowman and Kyril Magg). Tenor Lawrence Brownlee handled his florid lines with agility; bass Gustav Andreassen and soprano Audrey Luna made pleasing contributions.

But there was a general lack of momentum, and the chorus was not as refined as usual. It's hard to reconcile a "period" sound with a full-blown concert-hall style, and the orchestra was, at times, too heavy for the soloists.

Issues of style also played a role in the Brandenburg, which featured the CSO's concertmaster, Timothy Lees, with flutists Mr. Bowman and Mr. Magg. Nevertheless, Mr. Lees executed his difficult passagework brilliantly, and communicated well with his colleagues.

E-mail jgelfand@enquirer.com