If expressions of praise hewed proportionately to the artistry of each musician performing Carmina burana Thursday night, the preceding alphabetical list would go on to name every member of the Philadelphia Singers Chorale.

Plus the Pennsylvania Girlchoir.

And David Hayes and Mark Anderson for their smart coaching of each group, respectively.

Yes, this is among the most widely known and even infatuatedly adored scores in choral literature. But that doesn't guarantee a clean performance. Or a tasteful one. Much less a charmingly musical one.

But with guest Christoph Campestrini leading the Philadelphia Orchestra, these choirs steered a confident course to all three. Even listeners for whom this piece is either cliche or hard to love (I must admit to sympathies with both camps) had to be impressed with the choral skill.

And what about those soloists: actors or singers? It's normally not a question that comes up. But baritone Hugh Russell, tenor Christopher Pfund, and, to a lesser extent, soprano Joanna Mongiardo goosed up their roles with actorly body language and contorted facial expressions. Some of their gestures got laughs. Most of it made me cringe slightly and close my eyes to simply listen. If the orchestra wanted to underscore meaning, a better idea would have been supertitles to translate the Latin and Middle High German (rather than supplying the English in the program booklet).

All three soloists, though, were vocally strong - even Pfund, who, one must remember, dealt with a part whose range and general weirdness would have been better suited for a member of the sax family.

The Austrian-born Campestrini, making his orchestra debut with these concerts, led principal trumpeter David Bilger in Herbert Willi's Eirene, a work that alternately thrashes and wallows, often with equal aimlessness. Bilger has admirable pinpoint attacks and a lovely, secure sound in any register - talents that made me want to hear him in a better piece.

Campestrini opened with distracting physicality in a hard-driving, high-energy Wagner overture to The Flying Dutchman. Maybe it wasn't the most insightful account, but he at least succeeded in getting the orchestra to buy into it.