Sounding the City, a special commission which opened this year's Belfast Festival at Queen's, brought four local composers together to celebrate four Belfast landmarks. Festivals exist to cross boundaries and do something out of the ordinary; this one-off event, by and for local people, dared us to celebrate the old place, just this once, and admit to having a bit of affection for it, however grudging. The density of texture of all four works may, however, indicate a certain complexity of response on the

Sounding the City/Waterfront Hall, Belfast/Dermot Gault In each piece, the Ulster Orchestra was joined by extra forces: Cappella Ceciliana, sounding a bit remote up in their balcony, in Elaine Agnew's setting of Michael Longley's tribute to the Albert Clock, and Laganvale Silver Band in David Byers's homage to the river Lagan, whose recovery from pollution was represented by the gradual emergence of a traditional melody. Brian Irvine's evocation of St George's Market brought together his own free-jazz ensemble and St Ciaran's Primary School Choir in a highly-charged but, at close range, overpowering melange. Stephen Gardner's industrial-strength depiction of the shipyard included a brilliantly percussive piano solo from Finghin Collins. Each item was introduced by a tape of appropriate natural sounds, with striking video images from Clare Delargy, and it was all played with conviction by the Ulster Orchestra under Thierry Fischer.

The event was recorded for television, but what will viewers make of it? This is surely one occasion where you just had to be there.

Joan Rodgers/Julius Drake Elmwood Hall, Belfast/Dermot Gault

The language barrier has impeded greater dissemination of the Russian song repertoire, which is a pity, as Tchaikovsky's songs show a surprisingly wide range.

There were good helpings of Slavic melancholy here (most memorably in the tragic Was I not a little blade of grass Op 47 No 7), but also plenty of charm, and even that rarest of musical commodities, genuine humour (in The Cuckoo, Op 54 No 8). The language barrier fortunately does not exist for the English soprano Joan Rodgers, an honours graduate in Russian. From the audience's point of view it helped that translations (in some cases by Joan Rodgers herself) were provided.

Of course, a language barrier exists for German Lieder as well; it is an obstacle for audiences, if not for performers, and prevents the great Lieder repertoire from becoming more widely popular. Once again this is unfortunate, as Brahms's songs display not only the depth and beauty of his larger works but also a wider range than one might expect. The elegiac Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer was the best known, or least obscure, song in this group, but songs such as the opening Auf dem Schiffe (Op 97 No 2) had a lightness and charm which not everyone will associate with Brahms.

One might have wanted clearer projection of the words in the Brahms, but Joan Rodgers sang with unfailing beauty of tone, and, in the Tchaikovsky, full-blooded passion as well. Julius Drake's partnership was considerate and alive to every nuance in the piano part.

Notes from the Edge/Waterfront Hall, Belfast/Dermot Gault

Notes from the Edge is a music theatre piece for reader, actress (the uncredited Kathy Kiera Clarke), and three musicians (pianist Mary Dullea, cellist Zoe Martlew and accordionist Dermot Dunne), based on the novel Grace Notes by Bernard MacLaverty, who narrated. MacLaverty is a magical storyteller, and he reads his work well, but the potential of the book isn't fully realised. The heroine's childhood west of the Bann is evoked in vivid spots of detail, but then we jump to different stages in her life - suddenly she's giving birth, suddenly she's writing her masterpiece, suddenly it all ends.

MacLaverty nevertheless describes the creative process with an author's insight.

It's notoriously difficult to make fictional works of art credible, but he makes us understand why the (Catholic) heroine would bring the Lambeg drums which had exerted such an uneasy fascination for her in her childhood into a symphonic work: not as a facile cross-community gesture, but because of her need to express and redeem experience.

Deirdre Gribbin's music evokes rather than seeks to realise the fictional Catherine's compositions. It is effective, in a sparse sort of way, as an accompaniment to the drama, but it was too careful never to get in the way of the words. One wanted a more solid musical element. It was the narration, and Cathy Kiera Clark's intense performance as the depressive, morbidly impressionable Catherine, which carried the piece. But it will be interesting to hear how the forthcoming BBC Radio 3 dramatisation turns out.

The Belfast Festival at Queen's runs until November 10th. Booking: 028-90665577/www.belfastfestival.com