"You couldn't really hum the tunes, but it was very slinky, bendy and twisty like a snake", observed ten year old Ella Guthrie at the end of the Sunday morning Family Concert with Ensemble 360.

Jan Page's Goulash the Ghoul and Dirty Beasts by Roald Dahl - known to most children in the audience - were narrated by the excellent Polly Ives and set to music by Bela Bartok and Martin Butler.

I do sympathise with Ella Guthrie about trying to hum the tunes of Bartok – quite a challenge for six to ten year olds too!

A very appreciative youthful audience with a sprinkling of parents awarded the loudest applause to the string quartet players Marie and Sara Bitllock, Donald Grant and Martin Saving for their efforts to engage the young fans with their acting of parts in the stories and their animated playing.

Great fun, too – Maya Stallard falling in love with Polly Ives' ghoulash-making and seven-year-old Angus Smith, much amused by some of the audience participation.

Guy Eshed (flute) began the afternoon concert with a memorable performance of Schubert's Introduction and Variations on Trock'ne Blumen D.802 (Faded Flowers) considered too difficult to play when produced in 1824.

Guy delivered an outstanding solo performance. Howell's Rhapsodic Quintet Op.31 provided the string quartet with Matthew Hunt (clarinet) the chance to demonstrate effortless playing delightfully reminiscent of the Ludwig Trio's early January concert.

Many of the Sunday afternoon audience had been attracted by the chance to hear Schubert's Octet in F D.803 and a performance of splendour was made possible by individual players continually finding nuances, making emphases and adjusting tone and volume.

From the opening note which seemed to be held for an eternity by both French horn (Naomi Atherton) and clarinet, the performance was riveting. Unlike Ella Guthrie, we left Warwick humming the Schubert themes!

Clive Peacock