In London on June 22nd, over 350 people came to the Liberal Jewish Synagogue to experience an outstanding musical evening. As a tribute to the late Yehudi Menuhin, who was known not only as an outstanding musician but also as a tireless campaigner for peace between Jews and Arabs, the British Friends of NSWaS organised a violin masterclass, conducted by Tasmin Little and a piano recital, given by Nikolai Demidenko. Both are internationally acclaimed artists.

Two young women – both Jewish Israelis studying violin in London – and two young men - one Palestinian Israeli and one Lebanese – took part in the masterclass. Each musician played a short piece from a repertoire as varied as Debussy and Bach, Mendelssohn and Sibelius. To the untrained ear, each performance was faultless, but it was a fascinating insight into the complex and subtle richness of music to hear Tasmin Little’s responses. Listening attentively, she tutored each ‘student’ in interpretation and technique, insistent on communicating her understanding of the composer’s inspiration. To the audience’s gratification, she gave frequent and masterly performances on her own violin, and delighted them with her enthusiasm and lively presentation.