The Dome, Brighton, Sunday 6 December 2015

An afternoon of warmly romantic music when the weather outside was wet and blustery. Stephen Bell’s enthusiasm is catching and he added a new layer of energy and life to a programme which was itself full of life-enhancing joy. Dvorak’s In Nature’s Realm may not be the most complex of scores but its sense of light and air was well captured and the melodic fragments danced throughout.

There was more weight to come from Strauss and Bruckner, and the former’s Horn Concerto was dynamically led by soloist . He created a noble, almost heroic, stance in the opening movement and this flowed over into the slow movement with its finely crafted cantabile sections. The bravura stance of the finale was highly effective and roused the audience to a genuinely enthusiastic reception.

Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony, the Romantic, is probably his most approachable for those unfamiliar with the majestic structures he creates. The opening shimmered into life and the climaxes were well built, with a real richness of tone. The brass, who had proved themselves more than able in the Strauss, here excelled themselves with superlative playing even when very exposed. The wonderful sparkle of the scherzo came fully to life and prepared us for the monumental impact of the fire of the finale.

There were a large number of empty seats this afternoon. For such a fine event – and such splendid playing – this was a real pity. Just because the programme did not include Mozart or Vivaldi should not mean that there is not magnificent music on offer.

Then next concert, on 31 January, brings us Weber, Prokofiev and Brahms – and don’t forget the New Year Concert on Thursday 31 December.