Northern Sinfonia with clarinettist Michael Whight, Dolphin Centre, Darlington.

RAISING one eyebrow in suspicion, clarinettist Michael Whight stared intently at the instrument in his hand as he took to the stage.

It was as though he was summing up a complete stranger.

Indeed, the audience had been told the clarinet was a hasty replacement after his own instrument was stolen during rehearsals, hours earlier.

Whight said later: "It was like holding something foreign."

Through sheer force of will, he put aside his upset and launched into a scintillating rendition of Weber's Clarinet Concerto No 2.

Taking the instrument to its limit, Whight soon had it talking his language as it flew up and down the scales with an impassioned eloquence.

The lyrical melodic sweep of the slow movement was breathtaking and the audience at Darlington's Dolphin Centre called him back again and again to shower him with applause.

Whight's performance formed part of an evening with a distinctly French flavour.

Under the baton of David Haslam, the orchestra opened with a spirited rendition of Bizet's Petite Suite Jeux d'enfants. This was followed by Faure's Pavane, which saw passionate passages from principal flautist Nicolas Bricht.

After a break, the orchestra played Stravinsky's Dumbarton Oaks and finished off in fitting style with Bizet's Symphony in C.

As the audience filtered out, everyone's thoughts would have been with Whight - in the hope that he gets reunited with his trusty companion.