THOSE hardy people who braved freezing temperatures to attend this concert were rewarded with a warm, friendly, informative and varied evening of entertainment by an outstanding musician.

The concert would have been better staged in an intimate drawing room with a roaring fire, rather than in the cavernous surrounds of St David’s Hall. But you can’t have everything and the gregarious Little did all she could to make us feel at home.

The concert was part of her Naked Violin project which aims to bring the joys of classical music to a wider public across the social spectrum. The International Concert Series at St David’s Hall, of which this was a part, hopes to do the same thing.

Little introduced most of the pieces by explaining what they were about. This was helpful in the first piece, Paul Patterson’s Lustawice Variations, a playful bag of musical tricks which she performed with consummate ease and in the spirit in which it was composed.

There was really no need for an introduction to Bach’s Sonata Number 1 in G minor, as the beauty of this timeless music is its own explanation.

Little’s confident, deeply felt playing, particularly in the opening Adagio which shows Bach at his most hauntingly spiritual, said all that was needed to be said.

She said nothing about the two extracts she played from Bach’s Partita Number 3, letting her beautifully judged playing do the talking instead. Perhaps the highlight of a very fine evening of music making was Bartok’s Sonata for Solo Violin, Melodia.

Little was at her most expressive in this short, but technically difficult piece, bringing out its lyrical beauty and highlighting its many and varied colours.

A question and answer session midway through the concert demonstrated that the violinist was playing to a knowledgeable and appreciative audience who needed no persuading of the joys of the music.

Those who have yet to be convinced should take the opportunity to listen to Little whose enthusiasm for the music is clear in her playing and a joy to behold.

Little, playing a 1757 Guadagnini, chosen for its range of colours, fires off some volleys of Telemann by way of opening gambit, and then explains the elements of prestidigitation composer Paul Patterson has included in his Luslawice Variations, almost wistful early on, positively fiery by the end. But it is with Bach's Sonata for soloviolin No 1 in G minor, where Little makes the lines speak with warmth and great clarity, that she communicates with the greatest immediacy.

In the Melodia from Bartók's Sonata for solo violin, which Menuhin premiered, her sound is captivating. Similarly, the Ballade from Ysaÿe's Sonata in D minor Op 27 is an ideal vehicle for displaying virtuosity and expressive tone.

The British violinist Tasmin Little has spent much of her career championing the classical composers of our shores, famous or obscure, past or present. Her achievements in this area were summarised by a graceful and intense performance on Sunday, in which Little demonstrated fantastic control and subtle musical judgment throughout.

We began with a sonata by the little-known Howard Ferguson, a post-war study in anguish, where Little opted for a very sweet, even tone, keeping a dignified control over the constant shifts in mood and register. She was wise not to sacrifice dexterity and tone for rough-and-tough passion, given the sudden eruptions of sound and long, aching phrases to play with. But Little pulled out all the stops for James MacMillan’s Kiss on Wood, with a thrilling and serenely beautiful performance. Her pianist, Piers Lane, especially helped in creating a moving atmosphere, placing the final high chords with extreme delicacy.

Equally satisfying was Elgar’s Sonata in E minor, where fabulous melodies and a comforting tonal world allowed us to glide through the seamless narrative. Almighty climaxes weren’t in short supply, but within a composed, warm and wonderfully measured interpretation from the two players.