I arrived at the Royal Albert Hall for last night's gala performance of Verdi's Requiem fully expecting to take a charitable stand.The conductor, Humphrey Burton, wasn't a feted maestro but a filmmaker, biographer and arts guru who, at 70, was realising a life's ambition. In the event, the only charity worth speaking of is the Prostate Research Campaign, beneficiary of the event. Burton has been successfully treated for prostate cancer.

There can't be a wannabe conductor in the land who hasn't at one time imagined himself shaking a fist at Verdi's "Dies irae". Burton's gestures were more moderate than I expected, but they had the desired effect; there was plenty of power, his beat was clear, his baton longer than most. He shaped a phrase much as any seasoned maestro might, and his choice of speeds showed consideration for his singers. These included soprano Claire Watson, at her dramatic best in the closing "Libera me", and tenor Rhys Meirion, who excelled in his famous "Ingemisco".

Burton had first conducted back in his Cambridge days, but I doubt he would have dreamed of controlling the mass forces of the City of London Choir, the Guildford Choral Society, the Leicester Philharmonic Choir, the London Chorus and the London Symphony Chorus. The Philharmonia responded with plenty of spirit, and if some of the soft string playing could have been softer, the effect would probably have been lost in such an acoustic.

The "Dies irae" was thrilling, with healthy thwacks from the base drum and bold trumpetings from the grand tier. Burton took a brief rest between the "Lacrimosa" and the "Offertorio", then lifted the spirits with a lively "Sanctus", though he had to ease the tempo a little after the opening. Watson and mezzo Susan Parry blended nicely for the "Agnus dei", and the requiem's closing prayer had the right humble, muted quality.

What was missing? A certain tension, perhaps. Those subtle signs that the music is being interpreted from the inside, the sort of mastery that can only come from a life-time's work. But it would have been unfair to expect those qualities. Had we not known who was on the rostrum, we might have suspected the debut of a gifted newcomer. Even sceptics would have been surprised at how good it was, and the audience voiced their approval.