BELFAST's new Waterfront Hall was a good venue for the characteristically hieratic work of John Tavener, a well known converts to Orthodox Christianity, which opened this year's Queen's University Sonorities Festival Of Contemporary Music. Tolling bells and deep brass were offset by singers perched high in the galleries. However, a troubled Schnittke concerto, sensitively played by Adilia Alieva, was the more involving work. Here glimpses of Slavonic church music emerge from the post Shostakovich bleakness, snatches of conventional tonal elements are surrounded by curdled dissonance. A powerful portrait of illness, physical and spiritual.

Orthodox chant also features heavily in the strong symphony by Arvo Plirt, written before he had fully evolved the "tintinn-abuli" style. The symphonic treatment of the traditional elements did not entirely convince, but the playing under Charles Hazelwood was nothing if not committed.

Atavism of a different kind featured in a new work, Macha's Curse, by local composer, Michael Alcorn. The composer's reaction to the Troubles (Macha, you will remember, put a curse up on Ulster for nine times nine generations), it contains no references to antique or traditional styles. This was the most impressive new work by a local composer we have heard for some time.