Sargent was especially devoted to choral music. His special skills with singers were well described by Bernard Shore (the former principal viola of the BBC Symphony Orchestra) in his book "The Orchestra Speaks": 'He is able to instil into the singers a life and efficiency they never dreamed of. You have only to see the eyes of a choral society screwing into him like hundreds of gimlets, to understand what he means to them. He is hypnotic with the choir – he plays upon the imagination and minds of the singers like a mesmerist.' Under Sargent the emphasis in the Society's repertoire shifted from adventurous new continental works to the 20th-century compositions of British composers: Herbert Howells's "Hymnus Paradisi", Vaughan Williams's "Sea Symphony", Delius's "Sea Drift", Ireland's "These things shall be", along with the classics of the choral repertory such as Haydn's "Creation", Beethoven's Ninth and the "Missa Solemnis", Handel's "Messiah". Premieres were fewer than before: significant works included "Golgotha" by Frank Martin and Hodie by Vaughan Williams. Important events included the ceremonial opening of the new Royal Festival Hall in 1951 (with a concert of English music by Thomas Arne, Handel and Hubert Parry) and a memorial concert for King George VI ("Messiah" with the Royal Choral Society).