No baroque concert would be complete without some music by J.S. Bach and Antonio Vivaldi. They certainly featured in this terrific concert, but it was Johann Sebastian’s eldest son, Wilhelm Friedemann’s Harpsichord Concerto in D major, F41, that kicked off proceedings.

Donald Nicolson, at the harpsichord, was supported by an ensemble of strings and a single bassoon, led by violinist, Dene Olding.

Although the start was just a touch shaky, it wasn’t long before the group hit its straps, with the third movement, Presto, in particular, delightfully spirited and cohesive.

Especially noteworthy was the way the ensemble did not overpower the harpsichord’s quiet voice. That instrument typically struggles to fill a large concert hall, and certainly that was the case in this performance, but Olding had the band so well measured that the harpsichord’s voice came through clearly, with Nicolson’s deft and light fingering coming to the fore quite nicely.

After an entertaining and engaging introduction by writer, broadcaster and composer Stephen Johnson, violinist and festival director Jack Liebeck brought his violin to the stage for J.S. Bach’s Partita No. 2 in D minor for Violin, BWV1004.