" ... but when it came to Walton’s violin concerto the swagger of the virtuoso orchestral writing was realised by the orchestra as much as the liveliness and engaging quality of the solo by Tasmin Little. Her tone is unfailingly sweet and silky, and in the love-song which forms the emotional heart of the piece (in the final movement) it sang out beautifully."

Robert Beale

" ... but the performance that will linger in my memory came before the interval, and not only because of Tasmin Little's consummate playing of the solo part in Elgar's Violin Concerto.

She just played it, with little obvious striving; and she never milked it for impact. Everything seemed just to happen; and it was especially remarkable that a work famous for being, in the composer's words, "awfully emotional, too emotional," was captured so deeply via playing that was utterly unsentimental.

It was hard to pinpoint exactly how the dynamics of the relationship between soloist, conductor and orchestra were working, for everything seemed to work as one. The complexity of Elgar's orchestral scoring was subtly handled, with everyone listening as much as they were reading.

The way Elgar knits the solo part into the orchestral textures came across beautifully. This was a rarity - a performance whose completeness was something to treasure because, with any orchestra, conductor or soloist, such transcendence can never be commonplace. "

Martin Adams

"Tasmin Little (violin) joined the orchestra for Elgar’s violin concerto. Her hair was shoulder length, straight, unadorned and slightly layered. Her gown was a magnificent rich green, shoulderless, floor-length creation with a balloon skirt patterned by horizontal folds and gathered slightly with a clasp at the right hip. The bodice was patterned in sparkling gold and around her neck she wore a matching pendant on a slender chain. She stood in open-toed, high-heeled, pale, glittering sandals.

Tasmin Little is a relaxed performer but she has a riveting presence and last night she was extremely well-rehearsed and at the height of her powers. There is something fundamentally pleasing about Tasmin Little and Elgar’s music blended magnificently with her own mature personality. The music flowed out with lovely eloquence and Tasmin cast a spell like a real story-teller or advocate."

Musical wheels continue to turn in ever increasing circles for Andrew
and Jill Giller as their Concert Series continued last night with these
international artists.

Violinist Tasmin Little always seems to have a smile ready to break and
in Ravel's Sonata No 1, it was in her music, with pianist Piers Lane
being ever fluent. After that the opening violin theme in Schubert's Fantasie in C was one  of extreme subtly while the piano seemed to be playing a sonata of its own. This was one of the composer's last works and in his top bracket, with a beautiful waltz time opening variation to the finale.

The violent chords of Brahms' Scherzo from the C minor Sonata struck
without any introduction while Elgar's Sonata in E minor has an overall
rural feel to it.

But it contained reflective colours in the centre of the opening
movement, with the warm, singing tones of Tasmin Little's Stradivarius
instrument given full measure in the following Romance and into the
major key finale over a rippling, bright piano background for the end to
an early summer musical oasis.

Michael Drake

... the inaugural concert in 1920 had been conducted by Elgar, and so it was fitting that his Violin Concerto provided the conclusion to the concert. This virtuoso piece, by turns stirring and wistful, was in the capable hands of Tasmin Little. The rapport between soloist and conductor, whose baton seemed to grow longer as the evening progressed, was the outstanding feature of a captivating performance.

Trevor Defend