A triumph of the Brighton Philharmonic on Sunday was their presentation of classical music with a popular style. Haydn’s Symphony No 82, The Bear and The Jupiter Symphony by Mozart both fuse accessible melodic invention with the highest of musical art, an achievement we can all too easily take for granted.

Equally comfortable were the baroque concerti, with familiar harmonies and soothing cantabile lines. But listening to music that we know can set up worryingly referential comparison. Whose interpretation of late Mozart is the finest? Which soloists are most suited to Vivaldi's woodwinds? How should modern orchestras tackle the continuo accompaniment?

Under the spirited leadership of Barry Wordsworth, the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra laid claim to eminence. For my part, I felt that Haydn’s Bear was perhaps a little too tame. Dancing rhythms needed sharper definition and more pointed ensemble playing. But confidence was restored by the beautiful long-breathed oboe playing of Alun Darbyshire in an Albinoni concerto. Onwards and upwards with Vivaldi's Double Flute and Oboe concerto, allowing the Brighton Philharmonic principal flautist Christine Messiter wondrously centre stage.

Mozart's last symphony, No 41, is the apogee of classical music and we know it. It is the ultimate symmetrical resolution of opposing forces of rhythm, dynamism and tonality. Finally, the musicians of the Brighton Philharmonic orchestra combined sympathetic conviction with forceful passion, energy and some notably stirring brass.