'Last Autumn the NSO crowned a substantial concert with Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. But Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony is hardly less strenuous in its way. Solo horn, clarinet and bassoon starred in a performance that was notable for expressive detail.

There were big tunes galore in Saturday's programme, some of the most attractive surfacing in the overture to Englebert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel.

Derek Williams then directed a more recent classic that has come to stay in the orchestra's repertoire: Lutoslawski's Little Suite of 1951. It began with atmospheric effects on piccolo flute and violins. After a light-tripping scherzo, the third movement's lyrical woodwind writing was richly conveyed.

Like the Tchaikovsky work, Liszt's First Piano Concerto gained from an eagerness to discover old delights in the score. Soloist Clare Hammond, the county's 2001-02 Young Musician of the Year, combined drive and poetry with a real feeling for musical dialogue.

The NSO can look forward with confidence to playing at the Royal Concert Hall in May.