As they did two years ago the piano duo of Wendy Dolby and Tony Hughes (four hands, one piano) brought the twenty-fourth season of concerts promoted by the Middlewich and District Concerts Society to an eminently satisfying conclusion.

This time the theme was music associated with dance. The main item was a performance of the suite from “The Nutcracker” by Tchaikovsky: brilliantly written and played with panache. We also had Poldini’s “Dancing Doll”, some tangos, “Jamaican Rumba” (Arthur Benjamin) and “Invitation to the Dance” by Weber, for which Tony gave us guidance about when it actually finished! And that was just the first half.

After the interval there were groups of French and Spanish dances, including Fauré’s “Pavane”, “Danse Macabre” by Saint-Saens (don’t mention Jonathan Creek!), “Sevilla” (Albeniz) and “Malaguena” by Lecuona. As an encore they played some variations on “Waltzing Matilda”.

Tony proved to be a genial guide through this diverse and entertaining programme and the audience left with spirits very much uplifted and looking forward to future concerts. It would seem appropriate at this stage to thank those who have provided us with financial support this season and to the audiences simply for being there. No audience, no concerts – “simples”!