SOME things are worth waiting for and last Friday the Czech National Symphony Orchestra closed the Harrogate International Festival’s series of orchestral concerts with a blistering performance of epic proportions.

Rossini’s maelstrom of an overture, The Silken Ladder, hinted at great things to come and we were not left disappointed. Tchaikovsky’s highly demanding and at times disturbing Violin Concerto in D followed and this is a piece that requires a highly dextrous soloist.

Tchaikovsky is said to have asked the “greatest brilliance” from both soloist and orchestra for the finale, but Jakub Junek took everything in his stride to deliver a vibrant, captivating and exhilarating rendition, superbly accompanied by some of Europe’s finest musicians.

That would have been enough, but when the orchestra closed the concert with Dvorak’s Symphony No.7, it reached a new high for the evening. This is an often dark piece of music, born out of political turmoil and the composer’s deepening nationalistic fervour. So this orchestra is uniquely placed to interpret the roller-coaster of emotions and it did so with rare mastery.

The orchestra’s confidence was evident throughout and conductor Libor Pešek scarcely received a glance as it powered through the Dvorak’s finest symphony. It was intoxicating and utterly superb.

The Royal Hall is known as Harrogate’s palace of glittering gold; its jewel in the crown. And since a magnificent restoration programme, again offers a stunning venue that demands the highest in quality. Something the Czech National Symphony Orchestra offered in abundance during a truly memorable evening.