The Sussex Symphony Orchestra Opera Gala has become something of a fixture during the Brighton Festival and, judging by the applause and standing ovation this year's concert received, a very welcome one.

Mark Andrew James and his team select a series of scenes rather than just arias in isolation, and there are always a few surprises. This year's was a superb baritone aria from Puccini's opera, Edgar.

The range of the orchestral playing and the terrific performance by Gavin Carr made one long to hear the rest of the work.

Other highlights included the Czardas from Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus given with true diva panache and ringing top notes by soprano Olivia Keen.

Mezzo soprano Yvonne Fontane treated us to Carmen seductively dancing for Don Jose from the Bizet opera, and tenor Peter Auty declared with ringing lan to Turandot that Nessun Dorma and conjured up the magic of a Roman dawn for us as Cavardossi in Tosca, both by Puccini.

Without costumes or scenery operatic highlights can come across as flat but there was no chance of that during this evening.

The Venetian languor of the Barcarolle from The Tales Of Hoffman transported us to Venice, the duet from the end of Act One of La Boheme, complete with soaring off-stage high notes, showed life in a Paris garret at the turn of the 19th Century, and the sea interlude from Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten made us shiver in the cold of a Suffolk storm.

Linking the evening together was narrator Paul Carr, who set the scene for the audience.

The Sussex Symphony Orchestra next perform on June 18 at The Dome with a gala evening of Mozart. The concert is with Mark Andrew James and is in aid of Unicef.