ANYONE who went hoping to hear Nigel play something classical at this concert would have been in for a big shock. There wasn't a Strad in sight!.

The violin virtuoso was playing music from his award-winning album East Meets East, with a great line-up of Polish musicians - and this was, basically, a mind-blowing rock concert.

Nothing, however, changes the Kennedy persona. Whether he's playing a violin concerto, solo Bach, a Beethoven sonata, folk music, Jimi Hendrix or his own brand of rock music, the mindset is the same.

The concert started with pieces based on Eastern European folk music, with a strong Hungarian, Czech, Polish and Jewish influence. It was great music with a great beat.

After the interval it was a terrific explosion of sound, with Nigel's own compositions, including an Aston Villa tribute.

What other musician, the world over, of the calibre of Kennedy could prove as versatile as this man? Kennedy is still the brilliant virtuoso that he always was.

By proving that he can shine bright in just about every musical genre, Kennedy will encourage many new-found fans to listen to some of his classical albums. They would be just as blown away as his classical fans were at the Larmer Tree.