IT was a pleasure to see Mark Bebbington back in the latest Live at the Library organised by the Classical Music Society.

From the opening two Scarlatti Sonatas, through to the encore, of Liszt's paraphrase on Rigoletto, we were treated to a polished performance.

However, the highlight for me was undoubtedly Mark's breathtaking performance of Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata. He made the room resonate with the opening thunderous passages, while he performed the quieter sections so sensitively, then built up to the passionate, frenetic ending.

I have never heard anyone else play this masterpiece with such conviction.

Mark brought a real freshness to Haydn's Sonata in C major, equally at home in each of the contrasting movements, and nocturnes by Faure and Chopin led us to a Neapolitan Rhapsody Piedegrotta by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco - a composer new to me.

This work comprises five, contrasting movements, from an exciting opening tarantella, through a restful nocturne, and the lilting melody of a Neapolitan folk song, when Mark really made the piano "sing", to the festive and exhilarating finale.

I hope it won't be too long before Mark Bebbington visits Kidderminster again. VJS