Scottish Chamber Orchestra at their magnificent best

If getting the chronology wrong with composers is the only thing the Scottish Chamber Orchestra got incorrect at their concert on Wednesday night in St Andrews’ Younger Hall, it shows what lengths one must go to pick the most miniscule fault in this orchestra’s make-up. Haydn before CPE Bach? Outrageous!

Seriously, it didn’t matter one jot as the programme and performance was as delicious as it could be, a two-symphonies-plusconcerto format that showed the orchestra at their magnificent best.

Haydn’s symphonies are of a trademark formula but if you want to avoid any monotony, ask the SCO and conductor Richard Egarr to take a hand in proceedings.

They turn music of this genre into an art form and consequently provided 20 minutes or so of exceptionally precise and superbly structured performance.

If I had one legitimate complaint it would arise through the next item in the programme, CPE Bach’s A minor cello concerto.

Had soloist Philip Higham moved forward a foot or two, then his magnificent performance would have come over that bit better.

It did merge into the general orchestral sound on more than one occasion. But then I’m splitting the most slender of hairs as he and the SCO strings delivered a performance to savour.

Higham’s superb technique, style and virtuosity did shine through, especially in the last movement.

The concert closed with Mendelssohn’s third symphony, the “Scottish”. It’s as Scottish as the Eiffel Tower despite the so-called “Charlie is my darling” melody in the second movement, but it is a fine piece of music.

“Fine” isn’t the word you’d use for the Egarr and the SCO’s delivery. Try polished, exceptional or unparalleled and if these fall short go for magnificent and memorable.