The DUP never strays too far from biblical references. Peter Robinson, however, in his address turned for a moment from the good book to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to good effect.
Citing the Hound of the Baskervilles, he quoted the passage where Sherlock Holmes and Watson are camped out on Dartmoor.
In the middle of the night, Holmes wakes his companion and quizzes him about what conclusions he draws from the marvellous view of the clear night sky. Watson, trying to be clever, replies that astronomically there are millions of galaxies, horologically the skies tell him it is a quarter past three, astrologically that Saturn is in Leo, theologically that God is all-powerful and that meteorologically that it will be a fine day tomorrow.
Watson finally asks what it tells the detective himself.
"Watson you idiot, it tells me that someone has stolen our tent." With its tent now a seemingly permanent feature of the high moral and political ground, Mr Robinson pledged that the DUP would never lose sight "of what matters".
The inference was that David Trimble has done precisely that - and to his cost. Sometimes in their desire to seem clever and profound or by focusing on only part of the problem, they miss the obvious, he said.
It was a signal point in the weekend's conference - or to put it more accurately - the party's annual rally for this was no conference in the accepted sense. There were just two votes, both of which were unanimous.
"We needn't bother seeing if there are any votes against," said chairman Maurice Morrow in a telling aside.
But despite the unity of mood and purpose, which was striking - even by DUP standards, there were suggestions of changes ahead.
This felt like a retirement party for Ian Paisley - except there was no announcement. Commendation followed commendation. Reference followed reference to his 40 years in politics, his 25 years in Europe and his five consecutive poll-topping Euro campaigns.
It felt as if one further announcement was imminent but it never came.
The music came though - plenty of it.
We got Ulster Scots ballads to back the call for a rediscovery of cultural awareness, we got the Rev Willie McCrea's take on There'll always be an Ulster and a heartfelt rendition of We shall overcome. It was enough to make the hairs stand on John Hume's neck.