Any chamber music festival that kicks off with Czech genius Martinů’s Parisian jeu d’esprit ballet-sextet La revue de cuisine and ends its first concert with Saint-Saëns’s glory of a Septet for trumpet, piano and strings is likely to be a winner. This one was. It transpires that this year’s curator Kathryn Stott is not only a remarkable pianist but also an inspired programmer, bringing to the 10 players of Ensemble 360, core of the fabulously enterprising Music in the Round, an unfamiliar repertoire and special guests with whom they made sparks fly.

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Saturday evening’s concert steered us from more high spirits to night and mortality. Who knew that the great Romanian pianist Dinu Lipatti, who died far too young at the age of 33, was not only a composer in his own right but also arranged six of Domenico Scarlatti’s quirky short sonatas for wind quintet?

This gave us such a good opportunity to hear the true individuality of flautist Juliet Bausor, oboist Rachel Clegg, clarinettist Robert Plane, bassoonist Emily Hultmark and horn-player Naomi Atherton.

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