On February 1, David Clenny's West Side Opera Society, which has presented several bel canto opera rarities, gave Gaetano Donizetti's comedy "Don Pasquale" (1843) at Trinity Lutheran Church of Manhattan, at168 West 100th Street, as a benefit for Trinity Place, the church's homeless shelter for LGBTQ youth. Why "Don Pasquale," not particularly obscure, and given new productions, in fact, by the Metropolitan Opera in 2004 and New York City Opera in 1997? Because David was able to assemble an enthusiastic cast, capable of meeting the florid music's not inconsiderable challenges and, uninhibited by the concert format, offer convincing characterizations and include even such a detail as Norina giving Pasquale the requisite, audible slap in the face during their third act duet.

The singers were Michael O'Hearn in the title role of the elderly bachelor who would wed a young wife; Sara Henry as Norina, the young widow who would teach him a lesson for blocking her marriage to his nephew; Dorian Balis as her love and Pasquale's nephew, Ernesto; and Gregg Lauterbach as Malatesta, Pasquale's friend and doctor and ally of the lovers. They made an ebullient highlight of the ensemble that concludes Act Two, which Henry and Balis crowned with a ringing high D. Can collaboration on a performance of Vincenzo Bellini's "I Puritani" be far behind for this quartet? Gary Filsinger completed the cast in the short but significant role of the notary.

Clenny began the evening with a bubbly rendition of the overture, coaxing a full orchestra's worth of sound from an upright piano. Resonant bass O'Hearn neglected neither the bel canto nor the buffo aspects of his assignment. He and baritone Lauterbach made their mark in consecutive first scene solos "Bella siccome un angelo," in which the latter sang Donizetti's full, demanding cadenza, also adding other embellishments, and "Un foco insolito," which the former jubilantly dispatched. Joining voices for a striking duet at the end of Act Three, Scene One, they nimbly traded patter in its verses "Vedrai se giovino" and "Invano accumula."

Considered in these pages for accomplishments in mezzo-soprano repertory, Henry recently made the transition to soprano and reveled here in the higher-lying music of "So anch'io la virtu magica," executing this cabaletta, as well as later high cadenzas and individual interpolated top notes, con brio. She came up with a good, girlish character voice for the sheltered "Sofronia," who soon terrorized Pasquale when she wed him in a mock marriage; showed regret when she realized that, with the slap, the prank had gone too far; and, in triumph, took center stage to sum up the story in the florid "La morale in tutto questo," in the finale. Ernesto's high tenor music held no terrors for Balis, who gracefully delivered "Sogno soave e casto," expressing dismay at his uncle's obstinacy; the elegiac "Cercherò lontana terra" and bravura "E se fia che ad altro oggetto," capped with high C-sharp and rewarded with a hearty ovation; and sweet serenade "Com'è gentil," which he and Henry followed immediately with a dulcet "Tornami a dir," in which he took the top line.

Next on tap for West Side Opera, at Trinity Lutheran, will be Bellini's "Beatrice di Tenda" on March 28.