THE Lakeland Concert Society, when inviting the Halle Orchestra to play at the Westmorland Hall recently, was guaranteed an enthusiastic capacity audience especially as the orchestra is regaining the prestigious reputation it enjoyed during the halcyon Barbirolli days.

There were two small but significant disappointments.

Entrances onto the stage were untidy (partly due to the hall's grossly inadequate "backstage" facilities) while discipline standards of certain players during tuning sessions left much to be desired.

That having been said, however, a Five Star rating concert ensued.

Under Mark Elder's charismatic guidance, the orchestra (dynamically led by Lyn Fletcher) beguiled, charmed and excited throughout the whole of its attractive and demanding programme.

Colin Matthew's ravishing orchestration of three Debussy piano preludes provided ample evidence of the skills inherent in each orchestral section and it was good to hear that there are further such pieces to come.

Paul Lewis (among the best of young British piano talent) was the immaculate soloist in Beethoven's 3rd Concerto.

Sensitively partnered by Elder and the orchestra, he produced an exquisite performance characterised by stunning finger dexterity, lovely phrasing, delectable dynamic control and an overall serious, committed approach to Beethoven's genius.

The abiding memory of Bartok's virtuosic concerto for orchestra is of the clarity with which the composer's ideas shone out.

This ever-present precision was exhilarating.

BVP