What a brilliant way to conclude this year's festival! A relaxing drink with friends and wonderful music, courtesy of Don Paterson (guitar) and Steve Hamilton (keyboard).

Both musicians are superb exponents of their art and they led us through a diverse programme, which demanded versatility of technique and discernment in interpretation.

Moving from one rhythm to the next, often full of complexities, and done so cleverly without a join or even a bridging section, this super duo gave us blues, trad, rock, vivid syncopation, sensitivity of colour, cadences drifting off into the air and no end of stunning effects.

One particularly memorable piece opened with a backing tape of bird song, then animal sounds were added until they turned into a child's voice 'Why must I go to bed?' Tension built up as both musicians, absorbed totally in their music, progressed to the climax.

The small voice penetrated intermittently with the recurring phrase, until sound subsided gradually, bird song was heard again, dying away to nothing.

In Nijinsky (the horse), Steve's expertise and delicate shaping of phrases, and Don's agitated tempi, preceded a finely timed end, as a rallentando was played pianissimo.

Drowsy Maggie (Irish folk) was the closing item. In this, each performer was heard to advantage in their virtuoso solo sections. Complete in expressive beauty, the final rippling, sopo-rific cadence left the audience looking forward to next year.

Jill Hopkins