Top violinist comes to Bognor Regis concert's rescue

Organiser Roger Clayden said: “On Friday last I got a phone call from our violinist to say that he had bowel cancer and had an appointment to see the surgeon on February, February 3, the same day as our 14th birthday concert and would it be OK for him to be excused the concert. I told him to concentrate on his treatment with the surgeon.

"I then asked a whole range of violinists all of whom were already booked. I came up with the idea of asking Bradley Creswick and much to my surprise he accepted agreeing to play. It is true that he originally came from Bognor Regis and went to school in Bognor Regis but to drive all the way from Newcastle was greater than I could have expected. Further having been leader of the Royal Northern Sinfonia and the Philharmonia he was a little bit out of my league. Having played the 1989 BBC Proms with The Lark Ascending by Vaughan Williams, it will turn 60 Minutes of Classical Music's 14th Birthday Concert into a major classical music event with a violinist I could normally only dream about playing.”

British violinist Bradley Creswick began his long relationship as concertmaster of the Royal Northern Sinfonia in 1984 and has recently been appointed leader emeritus. His musical life then, as now, was rich and varied, providing personal highlights such as the EMI recording of Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending and Concerto Accademico with Richard Hickox and performing Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No 2 for BBC Radio 3.