THE concert on Saturday began with the rousing Academic Overture by Brahms - I particularly love the final Gaudeamus Igitur passage. The brass section had a few problems in the opening passage but the rest of the piece was played well.

The piece de resistance of the evening was what I think is the greatest piano concerto of all, Rachmaninov's second, performed by the remarkable Aydin na.

The orchestral accompaniment was sensitive, we could hear every note from the soloist, and while the orchestra could turn up the volume when needed, they were never over-stated, allowing the beautiful touch of the pianist to shine through, and the violins were most impressive.

In Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 6, the violas were jagged at the start, but the orchestra put plenty of volume and passion where needed, though for me the music didn't quite "soar" enough in the first movement.

Again the horns made some strange noises, and children were rattling crayons and papers at the back of the hall. Otherwise, a first-class concert, which I enjoyed immensely. VJS