Music review: Joshua Bell and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Usher Hall, Edinburgh

A packed, expectant house greeted starry US violinist Joshua Bell and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields for their Sunday afternoon stop-off at the Usher Hall, and in response, they put on a beautifully crafted, energetic show. Bell has achieved something quite special since becoming the ensemble’s music director in 2011. Still there were its renowned polish and finesse, its assured, aristocratic smoothness. But under Bell they have a remarkable focus, too, and there’s an etched clarity to their playing: every gesture has direction and meaning. And it’s a joy to watch an ensemble in which every musician seems so engaged.