Sibelius, Southampton University Symphony Orchestra, St Peter's, Parkstone

WHAT an inspired piece of concert programming this, giving the all too few people at this concert the chance to hear two rarely performed symphonies.

Anton Buckner must have written his music inspired by architecture and the expansive acoustic that these spaces have.

Hearing the seventh symphony of Sibelius also made one yearn for those far off days of Paavo Berglund's reign at the BSO, when a whole programme of his music led to a full house.

Just to prove that the size of the audience does not matter, the young players of the Southampton University Symphony Orchestra gave an inspired and exhilarating performance of the eighth symphony of Bruckner.

This performance, although not as slow as some we have become accustomed to, did explore those spine chilling moments that only Bruckner could write to the full when wonderful horn themes drift over string tremolos.

Is it moments like this that led Bernard Levin to write after a London performance of Bruckner's music, that hearing it is like looking through the gates, into heaven itself?

By K Fleming