A warm orange glow on stage greeted those who had braved the snow to hear a varied programme from Leicester's Bardi Symphony Orchestra.

Performed with a beautiful lilt, the opening flute solo of Debussy's Prélude à l'Après-midi d'un faune set the scene for a gentle, swirling piece, performed beautifully and which captivated the listener.

The Bardi were joined by international piano soloist Samantha Ward for Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21.

A light and lyrical opening preceded a very subtle piano entry, which characterised solo and orchestral parts of this performance.

That is not to say anything was underdone, just vibrant and perfectly balanced!

I particularly enjoyed the cheeky twists of the piano cadenza in the first movement and the sensuous melody of the Andante.

Based on a story from Arabian Knights, with a nautical backdrop, Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade is full of drama and more gentle themes, challenging conductor and orchestra with changes of dynamic and mood.

Klaus Efland and the Bardi rose to the challenge, producing a performance which was exciting and beautiful, the nautical references were nicely portrayed from the horns, conveying the power of the ocean to more naval references from the piccolo.

The piece also felt full of Eastern promise, particularly the second movement which felt more rhythmic than other performances I have encountered.