A PROGRAMME featuring Beethoven, Sibelius and Tchaikovsky inevitably guarantees high drama, overflowing emotion, joy and splendid beauty in different measures.

The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra players under the baton of their (not so old) friend Sunwook Kim and with the help of newcomer to Lighthouse Poole, the brilliant violin soloist Clara-Jumi Kang, squeezed every last droplet out of all four in front of a hugely appreciative home audience.

It is no exaggeration to say the entire house was totally captivated and mesmerised by Ms Kang’s performance in Jean Sibelius’ Violin Concerto and utterly blown away by the orchestra’s astonishing delivery of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 and its triumphant, hopeful and optimistic final movement.

Bournemouth Echo: The BSO performing Darkness into Light at Lighthouse, PooleThe BSO performing Darkness into Light at Lighthouse, Poole (Image: Andy Martin)

Not having heard this piece live for some years, I had quite forgotten just how beautiful and uplifting it is.

It received a muted reception when Tchaikovsky wrote it in 1888, but now stands as one of his greatest creations.

The concert opened in a different mood but also on a theme of fate, with Beethoven’s dramatic Coriolan Overture, inspired by Shakespeare’s tragedy Coriolanus.

Sunwook Kim, one of the finest pianists of his generation and a familiar and much-loved face at Lighthouse, was making his European conducting debut with the BSO.

He was the epitome of dynamism, controlled energy and pure elegance and clearly appreciated the very warm welcome at start of the evening and the ecstatic applause at its breathtaking end. The connection between maestro and players was more than obvious.

We have witnessed many BSO barnstorming finales on a Wednesday night in Poole. This one was right up there.