IT was a tribute to this interesting and varied programme offered from The Chiltern Camerata that the ensemble attracted so large an audience on such a dismal day.

One of the attractions was the presence of John Murton, an experienced young conductor making his first appearance with the orchestra, who was responsible for a most informative set of programme notes. From all reports, the members of the orchestra enjoyed working with him and look forward to further music-making under his baton.

The programme started with a Mozart Divertimento in F which featured some attractive ensemble work between the violin sections. It was followed by Crisantemi by Puccini, a rare work from a composer one normally associates with opera. It was written for string quartet and is arguably more successful for this group rather than for full string orchestra, since all the players are being asked to play like quartetists and can have different ideas on how various nuances should be handled. It was a nicely balanced performance.

The Respighi Ancient Airs and Dances Suite No 3 made a welcome appearance, reworkings of early lute music producing a kaleidoscope of tone colours. In the Vivaldi Concerto Grosso in G Minor that followed, the soloists in the concertante group were Linda Miller and Gillian Morbey (violins) and Emma Owen (cello), the solos contrasting with those of the ripieno section.

John Ireland’s Concertino Pastorale, from 1939, was clearly influenced by the events of the time, finally escaping in the boisterous Toccata of the finale, while the final work, Last Spring, a setting of a Grieg song, was tastefully played, with full justice given to the exquisite harmony changes so characteristic of Grieg.