THE Festive season got off to a cracking start at Berkeley Castle last Sunday, as the Eleventh Annual English Symphony Christmas Concert took place in the castle’s ancient Great Hall.

A fabulous welcome greeted the audience on a particularly cold and blustery evening, with home-made mince pies and a good Rioja waiting, which warmed the many hardy souls who had gathered for the much-anticipated event.

Charles Berkeley introduced the orchestra and in doing so mentioned how appropriate it is that the castle’s Great Hall, which has been used for music and entertainment since medieval times, is still the venue for an evening of such merriment.

Members of the orchestra introduced each of the items on the programme, starting with orchestra director Michael Bochmann (violin) and ‘Autumn’ from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. The first half continued with Handel’s concerto Grosso and a wonderful harpsichord solo from Warwick Cole of ‘The Harmonious Blacksmith’. Bach’s Concerto in E for violin led us nicely into the interval.

There was a more light-hearted feel to the second half, which included Mozart’s Divertimento in D K136, Brahms’ Hungarian dance and Faure, ‘Apres un Reve’ for cello and strings. Each piece was preceded by a witty anecdote, poetry or prose, and Roberts’ arrangement of Sherwin’s ‘A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square’ was simply beautiful. Then the fun began – not too early, not too late – with Anderson’s Sleigh Ride (complete with bells!) and Copland’s Hoe Down, which certainly ended the evening on a high.