HOUSEHOLD name John Suchet is sharing his great passion for Beethoven at the Turner Sims Concert Hall this weekend.

Suchet, who has spent more than 30 years as a television reporter and newscaster, is returning to his great love, Beethoven, with a light-hearted talk about his hero.

Before Suchet got bitten by the journalism bug he was a keen musician and Beethoven was his first love.

In the late 90s he wrote his first book about the great composer.

This led to short after-lunch talks and has since developed into a full-blown show in which Suchet tells interesting and amusing anecdotes about Beethoven.

He is helped along by a quartet of musicians who perform the pieces he talks about.

Suchet is keen to emphasise that the show is far from being a lecture and that no prior knowledge of Beethoven is necessary - though he says that almost everyone knows that he's the composer who "went deaf and wrote da, da, da dum'".

Suchet has travelled the world with his wife - fortunately a fellow Beethoven fan - visiting every location that Beethoven is connected to and is an expert in the work and life of the composer.

n The teatime special' show takes place on Sunday at 3pm. Refreshments are included in the £15 ticket price. Box office: 023 8059 5151.

l See tomorrow's Daily Echo Weekend Magazine for a full interview with John Suchet.