Chantal Juillet Colin Carr and The London Winds at Hamilton City Hall The Bermuda Festival once again presented an ensemble of the finest calibre with last night's performance by Pascal Roge, Chantal Juillet, Colin Carr and The London Winds.

The programme opened with the Sextet for Piano & Wind by the French composer Francois Poulenc. This work highlighted the skills of each individual player and their immaculate combined ensemble work.

The six players did indeed sound as one, with faultless intonation and sensitive interpretation of this demanding piece. From the lively opening with its frenetic scales we were taken on a journey through colours, timbres and textures.

This work encompassed it all -lyricism, charm, wit, and gorgeous broad melodies -- it was truly a sparkling performance.

For the second piece the mood was still French but the characters were changed - cellist Colin Carr and violinist Chantal Juillet joined pianist Pascal Roge for an impassioned interpretation of Ernest Chausson's Piano Trio in G minor, Opus 3.

My only criticism of this ensemble was the imbalance of the players. At times it seemed more like a cello solo with violin and piano shadings rather than a trio of equal parts.

This was mainly due to the charismatic and compelling style of Colin Carr. His cello soared to fantastic heights with each note being savoured and relished to the full.

His solo recital at the National Gallery promises to be an inspiration and I hope that some of our aspiring students of the cello manage to attend.

After the intermission The London Winds performed the one movement piece "Summer Music'' by the American composer Samuel Barber. The rich oboe melody was beautifully executed by Gareth Hulse while Richard Watkins' horn playing was perhaps the best we have ever heard in City Hall.

This piece again demonstrated the exceptional ensemble skills of these first-class musicians. They revelled in the richness of Barber's harmonic language and clearly enjoyed the humorous touches, particularly the conclusion. This was a charming performance.

The concluding piece brought seven of the performers back to the stage for the Septet in A Minor, Opus 147, by the German composer Louis Spohr. In this piece Spohr explores the range of timbres and textures offered by this combination to the full.

The horn melody of the second movement was absolutely exquisite and took us to the heart of nineteenth century Vienna. A capricious Scherzo followed in the spirit established by Spohr's contemporary, Beethoven.

The clarinet was featured in the trio section and Michael Collins' effortless playing was answered whimsically by Phillipa Davies' delicious flute.

The bassoon, rarely heard in Bermuda, was showcased throughout the concert as an instrument of great versatility in the capable hands of Robin O'Neill, able to deliver the most complex of themes as well as lyrical and rich melodic passages.

The concert was a musical treat with expressive unity of ensemble and a rich full tone. My only reservation was the distance one felt between players and audience, something I also experienced at last week's piano recital by Muza Rubackyte.

The Bermuda Festival has made a conscious effort to educate as well as entertain and enthral, and this was evident by the number of music students in attendance.

There was no communication from the performers to their listeners (apart from an initial programme-order announcement) and an opportunity was lost. We were witnesses rather than participants and the intimacy that is to be enjoyed in a chamber music recital, admittedly difficult to create in the stark and starchy City Hall auditorium was a vital ingredient omitted.

Yet aside from this one gripe, the evening was an inspired and inspiring one for every audience member, musicians and music-lovers alike.

Kate Ross Going Dutch: Donald Shepard, left, a board member of Aegon NV, and Transamerica Corp. chairman and CEO Frank Herringer address the media yesterday in New York.

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