Gordon Giltrap admits he has problems distinguishing a crotchet from a hatchet. But place a guitar in the hands of this adopted Brummie and he becomes a musical maestro.

At Birmingham's Symphony Hall for a one-off concert, he showed just why he has built such a loyal following. And the format of the evening showed just how talented a musician he is.

The first 90 minutes revolved around his work as a classical composer. Backed by the Sheffield Philharmonic Orchestra, Giltrap strummed his way through the mesmerising The Brotherhood Suite before letting Yorkshire's finest loose on another of his compositions, The Eye of the Wind.

As excellent as the first half was, the guitarist's devotees were more at home after the break when he launched into a string of favourites, kicking it all off with the piece he has become synonymous with, Here Comes the Sun.

He was joined on stage by a number of guests culminating in the arrival of Rick Wakeman for two pieces, including the crowd pleaser Heartsong.

In a concert that had everything from an orchestra to a rock legend, there was something for everyone to enjoy.

Not everything went to plan - a few technical errors and wrong notes embarrassed for a while - but his audience was forgiving.

Giltrap, a Birmingham resident for the past 20 years, had wanted to stage such a show for a number of years.

In doing so he made many of his followers, both old and new, exceedingly happy.

DL