Musicians with a Mission: Chamber Philharmonia Cologne in Dorchester, Dorset

In St Mary's Church, Dorchester, this outstanding ensemble certainly delivered on its mission to inspire and entertain an audience,

Musicians from Ukraine, Poland, Russia, Spain and Germany set an example of how the world could be, playing works by Vivaldi, Mozart, Rossini, Pablo de Sarasate and Tchaikovsky. The impressive and gifted soloists were Sergey Didorenko, Javier Pocovi Antuna and Christoph Jahn. The other, equally talented members of the ensemble were Agnieszka Sobczak, Jarek Mentsinsky, Alba Gorrea Munoz and Alexander Tschernoussov

Having arrived early, the free choice of seating afforded the opportunity and the rare privilege to sit in the front row; it felt as if we were within the circle of players, inside the music. Only a few days ago I had comparable experiences amongst Epirot folk musicians in Greece. From the klarino to the bassoon - hard to say which instrument gave the most intense pleasure.

Final rehearsal