South Live

Would everyone be in dinner jackets? Would I understand it? Would I fall asleep?

But when I arrived at the concert hall at the Brighton Dome, the audience was mixed and relaxed (with even a splattering of jeans and young children), and as soon the members of the orchestra walked out on stage I found myself being drawn to the sense of spectacle and occasion that only the sight of a fully fledged symphony orchestra can provoke.

And the sound was hypnotic – not least because of the consummate violin playing of Chloe Hanslip who mesmerised the audience with her performance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D.

Also, the programme was well chosen and accessible to even a classical dunce like me with a mixture of shorter and longer pieces which held my attention and were beautifully performed.

BBC SCR reviews

I left uplifted by the entire experience and newly converted in the belief that a classical music concert was a great way to pass a Saturday evening.

The Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra season continues through until March 2008. See www.brightonphil.org.uk for more details.