The concert hall is an ugly white building with coloured statues “walking the plank” from the roof! The walls of the concert hall are covered entirely with wood panelling, the existence of which I was to appreciate at the end of the concert: the acoustic had been just sublime!

The concert is due to start at eight o’clock. Why change the habits of a lifetime? At quarter past eight the public begins to clap but it was to take another attempt at twenty past eight to awaken the call of the wild: “Ready to rumble!” from the depth of back stage! The lights of the hall dim and those on the stage light up, including the claret and the blue. The impish Nigel walks on the stage:

“Guten Abend, meine Damen und Herren!"

The public is ecstatic as they erupt in a warm welcome: All is forgiven, Nigel! Even being very late! “My pleasure!” as he introduces a young German violinist born in Lübeck. I understand that she is one of Nigel’s discoveries from one of his previous trips to Germany. She dons a cummerbund similar to Nigel’s.

Bach concerto in D-moll for two violins is played beautifully! No flies on Azadeh Maghsoodi! The concert comes to a dreamy end and there is an endless stream of people presenting flowers to the two musicians! The public is truly ecstatic! “Do you want to hear the last movement again?” We know the banter and we know the answer from the public! “I am glad we played it slowly before!” The final allegro movement cheers us up again and at the end there are even more flowers being presented! They do like their flowers in Lübeck! Azadeh retires but Nigel will have none of it and coaxes her back on stage, he stands by the side, the whole concert hall is applauding her!

There is a short pause before the willowy figure of Jacek Kaspszyk joins Nigel.

“This will be the first performance of Emil Mlynarski in Germany. Mlynarski and Elgar were friends and corresponded with each other. One was Polish and one was English but each was a master in his field. Mlynarski was an adventurer in his orchestral compositions and Elgar wrote the longest violin concerto: it reminds one of modern architecture…”

The rest of the Polish Chamber Orchestra comes on stage: gosh, I did not realize there were so many of them!!! Nigel and the orchestra each play in turn, each important in his own role, neither overshadowing the other… Nigel’s concentration is palpable and the sound divine. The public can’t wait till the end and shows its appreciation between movements. Nigel is fabulous in his solo piece and we appreciate that even though it must be a difficult piece, Nigel’s sound appears effortless. Words like romantic, passionate come to mind… The final part reminds one of the countryside with birds singing, each musical instrument impersonating a different bird: the mood is light and pleasant! I notice the triangle being played: oh, the crystal clear sound!

All good things must come to an end, but as Nigel knows, we are after the amber coloured drink! We spill out of the hall on the forecourt: the lights shimmering over the river, the cool, refreshing, pure air after storm… Oh, romantic Lübeck!

Nigel bounces on to the stage and as he turns round he realises that he has lost the conductor! He loses time by throwing the flowers to the public who eagerly try to catch them! The ball finds its way to the public as well: somebody near the back catches it! The artists’ rooms are a long walk to the stage… (‘onest ,Gov!)

Jacek arrives and “Ready to rumble?”

The conductor gives an air of authority to the concert, Jacek takes his place at the front again. Elgar: concert for violin and orchestra in H-moll: marvellous, mellow and magnificent! I drift to a world of my own, I close my eyes, no, I did not fall asleep! The sound was so clear and pure that one did not wish it to be contaminated by sight!

The public is enthusiastic and MORE flowers arrive for the musicians at the end of the concert! But, Nigel being Nigel, he does not let us leave yet: solo Bach…

We eventually walk into the cool, crystal clear night: our heads still full of the pure, passionate, perfect sounds we had earlier heard!