“And malt does more than Milton can to justify God’s ways to man,” according to A.E. Housman.

The Choral Art Society’s “Christmas at the Cathedral,” whose final performance of the season was Sunday night at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, works equally well, especially for those nauseated by the gush of seasonal Muzak coming from loudspeakers everywhere.

Choral Art music director Robert Russell always puts together a fine mix of traditional, mystical and contemporary music. This year, he and the Choral Art Singers outdid themselves, with the help of soprano Suzanne Nance, the Portland Brass Quintet and organist Dan Moore, plus soloists from the chorus.

A new work for chorus and brass quintet, “Vidimus Stellam,” commissioned in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of “Christmas at the Cathedral,” did not disappoint, even in the company of Bach and Mozart. The composer, Kevin Siegfried, was brought on stage to receive the applause of a capacity audience.

“Vidimus Stellam” (We have seen his star) is a Nativity story in four short, contrasting movements. Siegfried has done a masterly job of combining the timbres of voices and brass instruments, beginning with the horn, in the cathedral’s novel acoustic space, which seems made for brass choirs.

The echo effects in the final movement were particularly striking.

The piece is decidedly tonal, but in a modern idiom that sometimes evoked memories of “West Side Story.” That contemporary tint was more of a problem in the Portland Brass Quintet’s version of “I wonder as I wander,” where some of the dissonances struck a nerve in those more accustomed to the traditional version.

Their Contrapunctus IX, from Bach’s “Art of the Fugue,” was spectacular — finally a version with a strong enough bass line.

The program began most effectively with a mystical “Karitas Habundat” by Hildegard von Bingen, coupled with a modern but equally heartfelt “Nos sumus Custodes Angeli” by Patricia Van Ness, which set the mood before the processional of “Personent hodie voces puerulae.”

Soprano Suzanne Nance was outstanding in Mozart’s “Laudate Dominum,” with pure, high notes ringing from the vault like trumpet calls.

Nance was equally at home in the tender “Maria Wiegenleid” of Max Reger with mezzo-soprano Andrea Graichen making it a near-perfect duet.

A delightful little “Ocho Kandelikas,” a Ladino song for Hanukkah with Graichen, soprano Susan Frank and Mark Nordli on guitar, opened the second half of the program, which included traditional carols as well as the Mozart and Reger works, plus an appropriate “In the bleak mid-winter” and a rousing Christmas medley by the Portland Brass Quintet.

All of the soloists chosen from the chorus were in good voice, with an especially noteworthy “It is good to be merry,” sung by Molly Harmon.

The trademark recessional of “Silent Night,” with descant by Harmon and Abra Mueller, sent the audience out into the rain feeling like reborn Scrooge on Christmas morning.

Christopher Hyde’s Classical Beat column appears in the Maine Sunday Telegram. He can be reached at:

classbeat@netscape.net