HOW fabulous it was to see the Courtyard completely sold out for the start of the nationwide tour by the Academy of Ancient Music with Rachel Podger and Frank de Bruine.

This was the second concert at the Courtyard in the Orchestras Live! series, which is already proving that truly great concerts can be enjoyed here on our doorstep.

The audience experienced a concert of tremendous visual and musical impact and it was a privilege to hear players of such an internationally high standard.

The programme was entitled Baroque Doubles and we were treated to six double concertos for either two violins or violin and oboe by Handel, Vivaldi and Bach. The players' sheer sense of enjoyment was evident and this held the audience enraptured from the start.

The leader, Pavlo Beznosiuk, introduced each half, fostering a warm relationship with the audience with his informative but gently humorous remarks.

In every piece the A.A.M. demonstrated an immense sense of space and poise. For me, the highlights were the two concertos by Bach (BWV 1060 and the famous D minor BWV 1043), where selfless playing allowed the continually evolving harmonies to convey the staggering beauty of his writing.

The clear acoustics of the theatre contributed to the feeling of space within the music and the calm and repose inherent within this style was beautifully conveyed. Put simply, this was a concert of superlatives and the audience's reaction fully reflected it.

The next Orchestras Live! Concert will be given on April 16 by the Britten Sinfonia, featuring the internationally-renowned tenor John Mark Ainsley.

Roger Langford