London Chamber Orchestra

TONY COOPER

> St Andrew's Hall, Norwich

The London Chamber Orchestra gave an exciting concert comprising a popular programme that included Mendelssohn's violin concerto and the Creakes International Student Chorus and Baroque Sinfonia gave a sprightly and enlightening performance of Handel's Messiah.

Beethoven was first up in LCO's concert (under the patronage of Waitrose) with the Coriolan overture. It provided a good opener and the orchestra, under the direction of Christopher Warren-Green, played quite magnificently.

The strings shone in Fauré's Pavane and Tasmin Little, soloist in the Mendelssohn, was utterly radiant in her performance. She is a superbly-confident musician with a polished technique. Her reading of this perennial favourite was adorable and the fluidity of her playing was breathless.

And the fluidity of the strings in Elgar's Serenade for Strings was amazing, too. The conductor (himself an accomplished violinist) kept the playing tight and subdued. It opened out the reading of Elgar's score in a way I haven't witnessed before. Mozart's Jupiter symphony completed the programme.