It’s an uncommon thing for the likes of me to be quite so engaged with the performance of quartets and quintets: they can be an intellectual exercise - interesting but uninvolving - if the performance is anything other than completely assured. But this evening’s performance at SJE was compelling and convincing for me, and I think for the whole audience.

The concert was kicked off by Viv Mclean at the piano, proving once again he is equally as adroit with Busoni’s treatments of Bach as he is with Gershwin, before the Adderbury Ensemble explored Mozart as a quartet. Mozart could famously create screeds of music as if dictated to him from above, with minimal correction and effortless flow, but that was not always true for his chamber music and the quartet form was sometimes a struggle for him. This particular piece looks from the manuscript to have been hard work, but its sincerity and power are perhaps all the stronger for that.

The ensemble certainly gave a convincing impression with the Dvorak at the end of the evening that they were truly enjoying performing for the audience and for each other. That piece probably facilitates that feeling of an ensemble - it is a superbly crafted creation, giving every player and instrument its space and opportunity to contribute and make its character felt and its voice heard, and assured a very appreciative reception for the players at the end of the evening.