Academy of St Thomas, Salle church, Saturday June 24

Cellist Alexander Baillie was the soloist and director for this - the 13th concert the Academy of St Thomas has given in Salle church - although the opening sparkling performance of Mozart's string Divertimento K136 was directed from the violin by leader Ben Lowe.

Baillie gave a stylish performance of Haydn's C major concerto was warm and energetic in the first movement, elegant in the adagio, and had superb articulation in the finale.

There was eloquent playing from the orchestra in Faure's Pavane, and Baillie was a sensitive soloist in an orchestral arrangement of a sonata movement for cello and piano by composer, Kenneth Leighton, although clarity was obscured by dense orchestral texture.

Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations for cello and orchestra produced superb playing from soloist and band.

Frank Cliff