Respect shone through during a glorious summer's evening as 3,000 enthusiastic people poured into the Glastonbury Abbey grounds for the traditional Extravaganza classical music night on Sunday.

Respect for the talented performers who entertained the enthusiastic fans who had arrived laden with picnic tables, chairs and all manner of delicacies to bag their spot for their special night of the year.

Respect for age-old traditions and national pride and passion as the flag-holding crowds joined in the grand finale of the all-time favourites including Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory.

Who can forget the sight of Mendip District Council leader Harvey Siggs skipping like a school boy down the hill – a flag clutched eagerly in each hand to join the swaying throng?

And respect for the imposing setting – as the crowds packed up and left the scene after a first class night out hardly a trace of litter was left behind. Glastonbury Festival-goers please note.

Huge enthusiastic applause greeted the performers introduced by conductor Timothy Redmond who steered the proceedings during the evening.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra took to the stage, with soloists Nicola Benedetti (violin), Joanne Appleby (soprano) and Andrew Rees (tenor).

The night of classical favourites began with a performance from the ground-breaking all-female string quartet, Raven.

Star of the show was acclaimed violinist Ms Benedetti who, at the age of 16, won the BBC's Young Musician of the Year Competition in 2004 and was catapulted to fame. She first appeared at the Extravaganza in 2002 after winning a Britain's Brilliant Prodigies competition on television earlier that year. The former pupil of the Yehudi Menuhin School gave a captivating performance, including the Violin Concerto No 1 by Bruch.

She then delighted the crowds further by playing a duet with her sister Stephanie who is part of Raven. Mr Rees's solos included Puccini's Tosca E Lucevan Le Stele and Nessun Dorma, while Joanne Appleby sang pieces from Lehar's The Merry Widow and La Wally's aria Ebben, before joining forces with Mr Rees, her husband, to sing traditional proms numbers including Jerusalem, Rule Britannia and Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance, March No 1.

As the night sky filled with glittering fireworks explosions, and the spectacular dancing water fountains erupting both sides of the stage to the grand finale music one enthusiastic onlooker said: "If you could capture all this respect, spirit and enthusiasm here tonight in a bottle and market it – there would be no problems in the world at all."

Fran Weelen