In its 41st year, the Academy of Ancient Music has not only held on to its loyal fanbase, it has also coaxed them into the wood-lined bosom of Milton Court – metres from its parent venue, the Barbican, but still dragon-country to many London concertgoers. The hall was packed for this all-Bach evening under the AAM's director, Richard Egarr.

The programme was framed by two of the orchestral suites, for which Egarr, at the harpsichord, was the engine powering a spirited group of players. The strings were only one to a part – there were more trumpeters than violinists. But if the strings were in danger of being overwhelmed at times, those moments were fleeting. It helped that the natural trumpets, not usually the most subtle of instruments, were played extraordinarily well.

In the overture to Suite No 4, the louder instruments all ducked aside to let through an athletic bassoon solo, and in the Menuet the three upper strings answered the trio of oboes with equal heft. Suite No 3 was just as poised: only strings accompany the Air on the G String, but violinist Pavlo Beznosiuk's melody could still have soared over the whole orchestra. And the outer movements had a buoyant, coursing energy.

After a long wait while the harpsichord was being retuned, the ensemble turned itself inside out. Egarr came into the spotlight as soloist in two keyboard concertos, with the five string players offering lively support. Bach's intriguingly shifting harmonies seemed even less stable in the slow movement of the Concerto in E major after the harpsichord's strings slid slightly under the hot lights. Egarr somewhat channelled Bach's practical side, pulling back the tempo, usually to let the music breathe but occasionally to accommodate a page turn. But the notes rolled from his fingers with enjoyable facility and his nuanced playing made the instrument sing.