The Kanneh-Mason Trio performing at the Sheldonian Theatre is described in the programme as ‘Britain’s most talented siblings’, but in fact these three extraordinarily talented siblings spring from a whole family of extraordinarily talented young people who all play either cello, violin or piano.

The oldest sibling is Isata Kanneh-Mason, who has already forged a career as a concert pianist. Then comes the trio itself; Braimah Kanneh-Mason on the violin, Sheku Kanneh-Mason MBE on the cello and Jeneba Kanneh-Mason on the piano. They are no strangers to publicity: the family (6 of them) performed on Britain’s Got Talent in 2015 and, in 2020, all seven of them played 'Ave Maria' on Strictly Come Dancing. Many people first heard of the family when Sheku played at Prince Harry and Megan Markle’s wedding in 2018, but they were already known in the music world before then. Sheku won the BBC Young Musician of the Year award in 2016; less well-known perhaps is the fact that he passed Grade 8 cello, at the age of 9, with the highest marks in the country. They all studied at the Royal College of Music; Braimah played with a pop band for a while and Jeneba was keyboard finalist in 2018. Their mother Kadiatu writes in her book, House of Music, about the struggles to find instruments for all the children – now Sheku plays a Matteo Goffriller cello from 1700 which is on permanent loan to him.

The programme is Mendelssohn, Beethoven and Brahms. After the usual announcements, in walks a slim, elegant young woman who seats herself at the piano and starts to play Mendelssohn’s 'Rondo Capriccioso' from memory, with an assuredness that belies her age. She is barely in her twenties: how much music must she have in her head already? Then she is joined by her oldest brother, Braimah, on the violin, who introduces their two Songs without Words. Then it is Sheku’s turn to play a duet with his sister, two more Songs without Words including the famous 'On Winds of Song'. Sheku coaxes the most beautiful sounds from his cello, at times looking beatific, at times tortured: it seems to be the way he expresses himself and his music. The first half of the concert is completed by Beethoven’s Piano Trio in G Major, one of only six composed by Beethoven. In this he was influenced by Haydn but there are differences, not least the four rather than three movements that constitute the piece.

The second half of the concert is taken up with Brahms’ second Piano Trio in C Major, written about 30 years after his first trio and at least 80 years after Beethoven’s trio. Brahms keeps the four part pattern popularised by Beethoven. Major keys are not usually associated with Brahms and indeed only the first movement is in a major key. This piece of music brings out even more of the talents of the Kanneh-Mason Trio: their seamless blending of the instruments, none outplaying the others, their subtle interpretation of the music. They are all sophisticated performers who are used to the limelight but when they received a richly deserved standing ovation they grinned delightedly. Do take any chance you can to see these wonderful musicians.