Conductor John Gibbons began by apologising for the omission, owing to excessive royalty demands, of the promised Carmen Fantasie by Franz Waxman. Hollywood's copyright owners apparently live in their own fantasy world.

However, to the delight and warm approval of the audience, we heard Bizet's own Carmen Suite No. 1 delivered with all the excitement, technical expertise and musicality we've come to expect from this fine orchestra. A particular highlight of this, for me, was the intermezzo which featured a luscious combination of harp and flute, skilfully executed by Carys Hughes and Graham Mayger.

One of Worthing's favourite visiting violin soloists, Boris Brovtsyn, then delighted us with stunning virtuosity and innate musical sensitivity, in a masterful performance of Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole. Dedicated originally to the legendary Pablo de Sarasate (who died in September 1908), this symphony-cum-concerto also provides many challenges for conductor and accompanying orchestra, all of which were handled with customary accomplishment.

One hopes very much that Brovtsyn, as intimated by Gibbons, will indeed feature in the forthcoming season.

Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony on a Spain-inspired programme seemed at first to be an odd choice. However, Spain is famous for guitar music and, since the third movement did feature, exquisitely precise, pizzicato or plucked strings throughout, this work subtly maintained the connection.

From Gibbons' introduction, we learnt that the recurrent and lavish brass fanfare theme in first movement represented, in Tchaikovsky's own words, "that fateful force which prevents the impulse to happiness from attaining its goal" – a reference to the many traumas, trials and tribulations that dominated the composer's personal life . . . and, perhaps, also to the concert's fateful programme title?

Without doubt, this was, from beginning to end, a magnificent and authoritative performance of one of Tchaikovsky's finest works.

This memorable afternoon was yet another example of how fortunate we all are, in Worthing, to be able to enjoy classical music concerts of the very highest calibre.

Bring on the 2008/2009 Season.