The Salisbury Symphony Orchestra promotes itself as an orchestra of accomplished amateur musicians.

Indeed, they were on good form in their recent concert with engaging and highly creditable performances of music by Bizet, Mozart and Schubert.

Many other amateur orchestras would have shrunk away from this programme needing stamina.

The players’ interaction and empathy with each other was apparent from the downbeat of Bizet’s popular L’Arlésienne Suite No 1.

Its familiar opening in octaves is exposed; not a flaw was heard, and we were treated to some crisp phrasing in what followed, with some fine solo playing from alto saxophonist Nigel Ellis.

The clock was wound back 100 years for a delightful performance of Mozart’s Horn Concerto No 4 in which Richard Berry, Principal Horn with the English Chamber Orchestra, was the soloist.

His interpretation and playing which includes the familiar Rondo was refined and unfussy. He was accompanied though by the entire string section; it may have helped the balance if their numbers had been reduced.

Many amateur orchestras would shy away from performing Schubert’s Symphony No 9 (The Great) given its great stature and extraordinary length. This orchestra caught the work’s grandeur and breadth in a performance lasting 48 minutes.

Even with repeats cut, this was a brisk performance; Conductor David Halls was singularly uncompromising in his tempi. Most players managed to keep up to deliver an electrifying last movement.

Accomplished musicians they are, and the sense of a warm group of people which enjoys making music together is palpable.

Stuart Robinson