After a very long and low bow, Joanna MacGregor had barely sat down on the piano stool before launching into the first of Schubert's Four Impromptus D899.

She set a fast, rhythmic tempo but still recognised the deep lyricism in the writing. We witnessed astonishing virtuosity in this performance, but I felt this interpretation was too restless, with the music needing more space in which to breathe.

Miss MacGregor talked about the dance element within the Schubert and drew a corollary with Astor Piazolla's work. The percussive element of his Six Tangos (arranged by JM) suited her style of musicianship much more. It was amazing to both watch and hear her playing this beautiful music.

She managed to get extraordinary sounds out of the piano (stroking and plucking the strings and thumping the keys), whilst getting inside the character of the music. She thrives on playing music that allows freedom of expression and I particularly enjoyed the last movement characterised by driving energy.

The way in which she introduced Bach's Goldberg Variations stole my breath away: one minute she was demonstrating the chord sequence on which the whole work is based, the next we were seamlessly in the first aria.

Her playing brought home to me Bach's complete belief in humanity and God combined as these variations touch both the base and sublime nature of life.

Roger Langford