A candlelit historic Astley Church provided a perfect backdrop for the first in a series of BT sponsored classical musical evenings last night.

The 'Popular Classics Concerts', being run throughout the Heartland area over the next six months, should raise around £4,000 for Nuneaton and Bedworth Mayor Maurice Kenwards' Mary Ann Evans Hospice Appeal and also bring a superb range of well loved classical music to the region.

A capacity audience were enthralled by the variety of items played by Contrasts, a quartet of experienced professional musicians.

Under the guiding light of Frank Allen on clarinet, he was complimented by violin, viola and cello to provide almost two hours of waltz, glitz and romance as the candlelit extravaganza roared into life.

The music ranged from the romance of the 19th Century with Dvorak's 'Humoresque's to the glitter of Johann Strauss' Waltzy Vienna.

Along the way we stopped off in the peace of Elgar's English countryside and visited the folk influenced 'Shepherd's Hey', courtesy of Australia's Percy Grainger.

All in all, a wonderful nights entertainment which left us all able to put names to 22 instantly recognisable tunes, some of which we perhaps knew better before as accompaniment to favourite TV commercials or films.

It is pointless picking out a 'stand out' number because they were all performed in breathless fashion by four brilliant musicians, so all I can say is make sure you take the chance to catch the tour when it comes your way.

Heartland Evening News