The Orchestra had a welcome spring in its step in this first performance under new conductor Eugene Monteith - a brief biog in the programme would have been helpful - as they opened with Rossini’s Barber of Seville Overture, full of well-known tunes and bravura crescendos. A positive statement of intent which sizzled with energy and some excellent string playing, the violins and violas crisp and clean, the ensemble really together: the brass did their thing too, especially trumpets and trombones. A performance that Signor Crescendo himself would have enjoyed.

Bruch’s Violin Concerto is, deservedly, a favourite and Madeleine Mitchell gave us a reading which combined intensity with a sympathy for its elegance and the lyrical heart of the work, building up into the big climax with passion, yet controlled and fluent. Despite - or perhaps because of its familiarity, it was immensely satisfying and enveloping, with a very sympathetic orchestral accompaniment that supported without ever dominating, beautifully balanced and played with artistry and warmth.

Sibelius 2 is a serious marker of the composer’s development - how contrasting ideas evolve into a work which has a clear underlying unity. It combines cheerful folk-tunes with a brooding melancholy before soaring away in the 3rd and 4th movements into a majestic finale. This was a performance that allowed each section of the orchestra to show us its quality with some exquisite woodwind playing, plangent and urgent, setting up the strings and brass in very satisfying contrast. The big theme came through, full of breadth and grandeur in a substantial recreation of this big weighty piece. A performance which had buoyancy and depth, darkness and light, combined very effectively. And it had a clear sense of purpose - a vision of how this might be achieved. They are producing a really good sound but the Guildhall acoustic is simply not big enough to give it the space it needs. There are better spaces which would be worth serious consideration.

Peter Lloyd Williams