Royal Northern delights

Dark nights and icy roads mean our January concerts sometimes get a thin audience. Not last night, though, when mild weather, a sparkling Mozartish programme and the pull of the name Royal Northern Sinfonia drew an audience of almost 280 to the Influence Church. And didn’t everyone, listeners and artists alike, clearly enjoy the recital of classical and neo-classical wind octets?

There’s a bit of a gap now until our next concert, by Trio Goya on 2 March. If you haven’t previously come across this period-instrument ensemble, that’s not surprising; their recordings are as infrequent as they are admired. Their Haydn came out way back in 2010, and now their recording of Beethoven’s Opus 1 Trios has been released by Chandos, to enthusiastic reviews in The Strad, BBC Music Magazine, Gramophone, Classical Music (“one of the finest performances anywhere” - beat that) and on Amazon, where you can discover listeners’ enthusiasm and find more detail. If 2 March isn’t already in your calendar, block out the date now.