Embarking on a musical journey with the English Chamber Orchestra (ECO), with renowned Russian pianist and conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy on the podium, is akin to travelling in a Rolls Royce with royalty. One could not wish for better.

Like the rest of the world, longtime Bermuda Festival audiences know that the ECO is a superlative ensemble which never disappoints, and certainly not on Wednesday evening when the Ruth Seaton James Centre for the Performing Arts was filled for the first of its two programmes.

Sooner or later, many of the world's most prominent citizens monarchs, statesmen and artists among them visit our shores, but who would have dared to believe that Mr. Ashkenazy would be one of them, and during our 400th anniversary?

Maybe not the general public, but director of the Bermuda Festival, Karen Pollard, did, and his appearance this week marked the culmination of years of tenacity in achieving her goal.

For those fortunate enough to secure tickets, the result was an evening of pure gold, the memories of which will long be treasured.

Unlike the capricious weather outside, the auditorium was filled from beginning to end with the pervasive warmth which only beautiful music, superbly performed, can generate.

There are many fine orchestras around the world, full and chamber, which bring untold pleasure to their audiences, but what is it that makes the English Chamber Orchestra so special?

For me, it is a combination of exquisite musicianship, tonal purity, finesse and unmistakable freshness. Like creators of the finest tapestry, the Orchestra's seamless interweaving of myriad gradations of colour and texture throughout a score makes for compelling listening and this concert was compelling indeed.

As expected, Mr. Ashkenazy's direction was a joy: impeccable, elegant and beautifully tempered. Small of stature he may be, but in every other respect he is a giant of the classical musical world with whom it was a privilege to share a few hours. To watch his body language on the podium is to understand just how passionate he is about music, and how he not only lives it with his entire being but also enjoys conveying its wonders to the world through the musicians under his baton.

The choice of 32-year-old Siberian composer Anton Shelepov's 'Serenade for Strings' to open the programme was an inspired one. Unlike so many modern works, each of the five dances within the collective title was immediately appealing and assimilable. The variations in colour and tempi, and the interplay between the various sections of the orchestra, made for interesting listening throughout.

Haydn's 'Cello Concerto in C major', which followed, featured the Orchestra's principal cellist, Carole Dale, as the soloist and what a magnificent performance this award-winning musician and recording artist gave.

This is a work which explores the soloist's virtuosity from the moment the cello enters in the first movement, but none more so than in the spirited third movement. As a showpiece for the solo instrument, its demands include rapid, staccato bowing, alternation between high and low registers, and counterpoint which at times makes it sound as if two instrument are playing.

Miss Dale's performance was stunning so stunning, in fact, that the Orchestra and conductor not only warmly applauded her, but also the audience brought her back for an encore: an arrangement by her unnamed boyfriend of Faure's* 'Après Une Reve*'.

Finnish composer Sibelius' 'Rakastava' paints an earthy and erotic picture of young love with music which is inherently beautiful in all its moods and variations, and in which images of his homeland are clearly invoked. Here again, the Orchestra's conveyance of the story portrayed in each of the three movements was finely wrought.

Dvorak's five-movement 'Serenade for Stings, Op. 22' made a wonderful conclusion to this well-chosen programme. Richly imbued with a variety of textures, colours and tempi, it was a delight from start to finish as was the English Chamber Orchestra.