Overture: The Barber of Seville - Rossini

Mont Juic Suite - Britten/Berkeley

Concierto de Aranquez - Rodrigo

Pampeana No. 3: Impetuosamente - Ginestra

In the first of RTE's Summer in the City lunchtime concerts on Friday, all the music had a Hispanic flavour, though in Rossini's case it was limited to the title of his overture to the Barber of Seville. The RTE Concert Orchestra, conducted by Colman Pearce, played with marked vigour, emphasising the tunefulness and the rhythmic vivacity of the overture.

The Mount Juic Suite is based on Catalan dance tunes taken down by Britten and Berkeley during a visit to Barcelona. The first two movements of the four are thought to be by Berkeley, the remainder by Britten. Berkeley's contribution was the more restrained and subtle and was more respectful of the tunes; Britten was more interested in providing an orchestral showpiece. The orchestra forcefully brought out the different flavour of the movements.

The Concierto de Aranquez was originally for guitar; Rodrigo later arranged it for harp. It has to be said that much of the Spanish atmosphere is lost in this arrangement, though it is, if anything, more melodious. Triona Marshall as soloist plainly enjoyed the harp version with its infectious tunes and decorative lines. There were none of the problems of balance that can arise when the work is played on the guitar. Harp and orchestra blended admirably.

The Imptuosamente movement from Ginestra's Pampeana No. 3 was clearly chosen to exemplify the presenter Gerry McArdle's remark that Colman Pearse was a conductor to make the hair stand on your head with excitement. This movement was full over overlapping harmonies and crossing rhythms. At times it sounded more African than Argentinean, and it brought the concert to an end, not with a whimper, but with a bang.