ONE of the Ludlow Festival's hottest tickets was for violinist Tasmin Little playing Mozart in St. Laurence's Church.

Her performance of the Violin Concerto in D, K218, justified all expectations and reminded the audience why she is such a favourite at the Proms.

The fourth of Mozart's five violin concertos presents no major technical challenges. What counts is the ability to make the lyrical passages sing and the rhythmic passages dance. Tasmin Little achieved both in abundance and her rendering of the supremely melodious slow movement was the high point of the entire concert.

She was accompanied by the European Union Chamber Orchestra led by Gernot Sussmuth. It is a small ensemble but that was right for the Mozart as every detail could be heard, even at the back of the church.

John Ireland's Downland Suite, played in its version for string orchestra, opened the concert. It is enchanting enough but it could not stand up to the variety of the Mozart that followed.

Tablesque by Lalanath de Silva was the first work after the interval. It was described as an attempt to look at Indian Tabla music through the eyes of a string group. Somehow it sounded more like something English from the 1920s.

Haydn wrote marvellous music though, with 104 symphonies to his name, all too much is overlooked. Sussmuth ended the concert with a persuasive case for no 42 in D to come out of the shadows and be heard more often.