Having an organisation like the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra on our doorstep is nothing but a privilege but it is a typical scenario that so many of us in Dorset have never actually experienced one of their performances. I was looking forward to attending Wednesday evening’s ‘Russian Masters’ programme despite no prior knowledge of the pieces being performed. I consider myself in the camp of those who enjoy the sensory journey of pure musical indulgence, giving my active mind a much needed rest, yet having just a tiny bit of knowledge of classical music.

I took a friend with me who is a talented self-taught musician but has never attended one the BSO’s performances before. There was a small cynicism as to what he may expect, but it was rewarding to see a whole different response immediately following the opening upbeat works of Mikhail Glinka, the overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla, and the Valse from A Life for the Tsar. He was sold. He told me that his mind was blown and was keen to see them perform again.

Conductor Kees Bakels took us on a roller coaster journey across every section of the orchestra, with magical moments of the flute that were so purely pitched it was almost too good to be true.

The main work of the night was Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto, performed by the young and incredibly impressive Czech pianist, Lukás Vondrá?ek. The passion behind the performance was intense and the deserved applause brought everyone to their feet. Lukas had us all in the palm of his hand and the energy in the room as a result was palpable.

I genuinely believe these weekly performances in the season are for everyone, for novice and expert alike. They will undoubtedly transport you to a better place after a challenging day. You feel a part of something quite incredible and I was excited to see the BSO gain another unexpected fan in my friend that evening. Your soul is crying out for it……