IT was the last in the series of late night performances by Northern Sinfonia at All Saints Church, in Newcastle, before the big move to the Sage across the river, and the end of an era was marked in fitting style.

It was also one of those rare occasions where not only were the composers on the programme both still alive, but they were also there to appreciate the interpretation of their works. Neither they nor the audience were disappointed.

Agustin Fernandez's Botanic Spider was spun out in all its fine tracery, with a scintillating performance by an ensemble of four strings and piano. Opening with a gossamer thread at a single pitch, the composition was woven until it grew organically into a throbbing harmony. The synergy between strings and keyboard was complete. One solo passage by violinist Jonathan Storer positively radiated, evoking a vision of the morning sun sharply picking out the filaments of a spider's web. The audience was completely captivated.

Karl Aage Rasmussen's Movements on a Moving Line was far more demanding on the listener, but no less rewarding.

A play of time and movement, presenting the same music at different speeds, it was at turns charming and fragmented; the ever-changing kaleidoscope conveyed with heartfelt commitment.

The evening concluded with a world premier of Fernandez's composition, A Hidden Music. The work, which took shape as the war broke out in Iraq last year, effectively captured the spirit of the times, with its underlying melancholy held aloft by superb string work. The final movement, capturing the inexorable march to war was driven home relentlessly. Blood-stirring stuff. Audiences will miss the atmospheric surrounds of All Saints, but it will be in exchange for the acoustic excellence of the Sage.

Published: 29/05/2004