LAST month saw a superb start to the Beaconsfield Music Society Season with the specialist Baroque ensemble Florilegium. This youthful group of players, in its tenth year, plays Baroque music on period or copy instruments that have a subtle, warm tone.

The evening began with Vivaldi's Concerto in C major. Full of freshness and lightness, this was the first of two pieces that included the recorder, played skilfully by Ashley Solomon, one of the founder members of the group.

Torelli's Sonata in D Major followed with Richard Fomison's masterly playing of the baroque natural trumpet. Difficult to play (no valves to aid intonation), this instrument has a joyous warm tone and the music written for it is full of complex ornamentation, which Richard achieved with ease.

The evening included three pieces from Telemann's Tafelmusik, which Florilegium are recording this week well worth hearing. Called Tafelmusik to help sell a number of pieces of music together, Handel bought and they may have inspired his own music.

A Vivaldi Trio Sonata based on the period dance craze La Folia was wonderful and proved that this music can also be strong, stirring and humorous, with a stunning ending with the string players hitting the strings with their bows.

A Sonata in D major by less well-known Gottfried Finger included some superb teamwork by the violinists, Kati Debretzeni and Rudolfo Richter.

Michel Corette's Concerto Comiques was written as an entracte for a play, and was thoroughly enjoyable.

Jennifer Morsches played cello with vivacity, Robert Nairn's double bass was powerful and Jane Rogers played a subtle viola. James Johnstone deserves praise for his work on the harpsichord giving a wonderful foundation to the whole.

This lovely evening ended with a sonorous Bach's Air on a G String.

Margaret Probyn