The UYSO concert got off to a cracking start with a spine-tingling performance of Beethoven’s Overture to Egmont.

The orchestral playing was remarkably well assured throughout, with a climax that was almost frightening in its energetic brilliance. They were equally at home with the melodic nobility of the opening of Schumann’s wonderful Symphony No 4.

Conductor John Stringer judged the dramatic pacing impeccably throughout the symphony and the musical journey was a hugely enjoyable one.

But the main event was Wagner. The UYSO celebrated the 200th anniversary of Richard Wagner’s birth with a performance of Act One of Die Walkure, and what a celebration it was. Right from the off the dramatic tension was simply “switched-on”.

If the Beethoven radiated electricity, this brooding, ominous sound world had an energy and darkness which one is drawn to, almost against one's better judgement.

The singers were excellent. Charlie Murray’s sinister Hunding was just right, singing with a full resonant bass sound in a role with echoes of Don Giovanni’s stone guest – somewhat otherworldly.

But the central performances by tenor Justin Lavender (Siegmund) and soprano Rosamund Cole (Sieglinde) had the majority of the role play and they were utterly engaging – though I did lose a little detail in Mr Lavender’s contributions when the orchestral playing was at full stretch.

Nevertheless, the wave after wave of emotional, spell-binding narrative created by the two singers was overwhelming. And in the end a triumph for all concerned, not least the UYSO and their inspirational conductor, John Stringer.