The Lancaster Symphony Orchestra went down the river to the sea in its performances over the weekend at the Fulton Opera House, in a program of works by Ralph Vaughan Williams and Composer's Award winner Jennifer Higdon that never failed to delight and amaze.

The sea, with its rhythmic surging, its periods of calm and storm, seems to be the perfect subject for symphonic tone-painting. Its vast, mysterious depths, wild storms, desolate calms and fresh breezes, not to mention the human drama that takes place on and beside it, has proven an equally compelling subject for writers.

When the English composer Vaughan Williams encountered the long-lined, free, sprawling and all-encompassing verse of the American poet Walt Whitman when he was a student at Cambridge, he acquired a life-long passion and a source for several works, one of which was his first symphony, "A Sea Symphony."

This was the major work on the orchestra's program, and it got a major performance. Conductor Stephen Gunzenhauser guided the orchestra, with the Lancaster Symphony Chorus and two soloists, through the calm, storm and rocky passages of challenging work with a sure hand.

The chorus, prepared by interim chorusmaster Mark Williams, plays a huge role throughout this work, which is almost an oratorio. (While this is his first symphony, Vaughan Williams had compiled an impressive number of orchestral and choral compositions by 1910, and was influenced by Elgar's "The Dream of Gerontius.") The chorus's entrances were clean and the words came through — the printed program insert was a big help. Whether singing lively music based on sailors' chanteys or dignified, hymn-like passages, the chorus was unfailingly responsive and full of energy.

Soprano Evelyn Santiago and baritone Philip Lima invested their roles with warmth and beauty. Lima's firm voice gave authority to Whitman's brave words and Santiago was unfailingly ardent and moving, especially in the fourth movement, "The Explorers."

In the great duet "O we can wait no longer/ we too take ship O Soul," Lima and Santiago brought the dramatic and metaphoric center of the piece — Adam and Eve "wandering, yearning, with restless explorations, with questionings" — to life.

Higdon's 'river sings a song to trees' is a part of a larger 2002 work, 'City Scape.' The orchestra gave a lovely performance of some very listener-friendly material. The work is full of the sounds and feeling of nature, capturing the flow of water, the wind and light on the trees and the buzzing of insects. Some of the scoring is reminiscent of Copland, and even of the pastoral works of Vaughan Williams.

Higdon, who was on hand to receive the award, presented by Dr. Clark McSparren, explained some of the unusual percussion effects she uses to the audience, including the water gong, which is a gong raised and lowered in water, and a crotale (a small antique cymbal) placed on a tympani for another wavery, liquid effect. (She also used a bowed xylophone in the work).

"I'm extremely honored to be in such company ... I'm kind of blown away," said Higdon of the award.

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