Elgar, Bruch & Dvorak, Worthing Symphony Orchestra, Nicola Benedetti (violin)

Starting with Elgar’s stirring Froissart Overture, conductor John Gibbons demonstrated his orchestra’s superior quality and the hall’s excellent acoustic. Then came Bruch’s 1st Violin Concerto. Now, does Nicola Benedetti live up to all the hype? Oh yes, and much more. The capacity audience certainly enjoyed “World-class music on your doorstep”, a real treat: impassioned, sensuous and so very musical.

I had just about calmed down by the second half, a well-judged performance of Dvorak’s 7th Symphony – any more bounce in the scherzo and we’d have been dancing out of our seats. What a brilliant start to the new season!

Coda: Hear Nicola Benedetti playing the same concerto at The Last Night of the Proms on Saturday 8 September (Radio3/BBC2).

Worthing Assembly Hall, 2 September 2012

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