There is a something mesmerising and absorbing when listening to the music of Vaughan Williams played by the 100-plus salaried musicians of Manchester's remarkable orchestra.  

At his pre-concert talk, Hallé's CEO, David Butcher, was convinced the orchestra was now in a "golden age" with both their programming and in their efforts to improve and develop music education in schools within Greater Manchester via Hallé Connect.  

He was quick to admit that Covid hid the damaging impact of Brexit on the orchestra.

Opportunities for touring in Europe are now severely reduced as these ventures become increasingly difficult to organise. Visiting artists, too, are finding the stumbling blocks of "new legislation" difficult to overcome.

Butcher remains confident Mr Hallé's Band, as it was described at the Grand Exhibition, is well positioned to develop impressively creative programming in years to come, thanks to the involvement of living composers, incuding Thomas Adès. 

Their programme at Warwick Arts Centre celebrated 150 years since the birth of Vaughan Williams with his Symphony No 6, an explosive work from the early bars led by the brass section including saxophone and tuba - a work which challenges the full range of emotions. 

The frequent explosions of sound were followed by periods of mystery and intrigue, with beautifully delivered solos for cor anglais (Mana Shibata) and tenor saxophone (Carl Raven). 

Sir Mark Elder brings the very best from his charges demanding mesmeric pizzicato playing by double basses, deliberately delivered dialogues from strings and flutes before the last movement of this intense work fades away. 

Post interval, Elizabeth Brauß, BBC New Generation Artist 2018-20, played a Mozart's favourite Piano Concerto, No 23 K488.

Her touch is extraordinarily delicate and, faced with the strong playing of the Hallé, there were moments in the first movement when she could not be heard. 

Having said that, she delivered the slow middle movement in perfect balance with the flutes and clarinets before making a big statement with her entrance to the last movement – sonata rondo – with clever phrasing, coping well with the arpeggios. 

Throughout, she was well supported by the remarkable string sections.

Sibelius' Symphony No 3 is one of his "masterpieces".

Once again those Hallé string players distinguished themselves with most disciplined pizzicato playing, so very typical of many of Sibelius' works. 

Sir Mark's preference of having the first violin desks facing the second violin desks works most effectively in a work of this nature.

His brass and wind sections were having a field day with flautists, Amy Yule and Rob Looman, outstanding. 

Strong viola and cello playing, accompanied by piercing horns, helped build this masterpiece to a weighty conclusion.  

In his introductory remarks, Sir Mark was keen to confirm how thrilling it was to see healthy live audiences again, those audiences having been 'deprived for so long of things which bring us joy'. The healthy Warwick Arts audience of 800 plus rewarded him warmly.