Poet James Russel Lowell rhapsodized about the rare perfection of a day in June. After a meager summer concert diet of foot tappers and bad acoustics -- the Lute Society and Lancaster Festival were notable exceptions -- this classical music critic now nominates a day in August as also rare and of exceptional quality.

The beautiful atrium of the Franklin Park Conservatory yesterday afternoon was the scene of a delightful musicale presented by five members of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra under the auspices of the Columbus Chamber Music Society. Performing as soloists as well as in various combinations were Charles Wetherbee, violin; Trevor Handy, cello; Steve Secan and Anne Gabriele, oboes; and Jude Mollenhauer, harp.

The standing-room-only audience of 300-plus responded enthusiastically to trio sonatas by Bach, Handel and Quantz and an assortment of 10 short pieces of varying pretensions.

My notes are liberally sprinkled with happy adjectives. Mollenhauer was the strong foundation, accompanying her associates' solos and supplying the harmonic support, normally expected of a keyboard, for the trio sonatas. Her two solos were technically and musically first-rate.

Secan and Gabrielle, together and separately, produced beautiful sound. Pastorale by little-known Marcelle Soulange was a gorgeous surprise from Secan.

Handy's three short solos by Faure, Debussy and St. Saens were models of singing tone and expressive legato.

We are accustomed to Wetherbee's violinistic achievements with the orchestra, but none has been more impressive than making one hear the Meditation from Massenet's Thais as though for the first time. He did that yesterday.