Britten repertoire was also featured by The Song Company, whose rendition of “Hymn to St Cecilia” (text by Auden) was masterfully conducted by Roland Peelman – who has been consistently excellent throughout this festival. Tenor Andrew Goodwin, accompanied by Peelman, brought new poignance to Britten’s “Folksongs”, a work straddling the line between Lieder and cabaret. Their extraordinarily beautiful performance of “The Last Rose of Summer” balanced pianistic utterances against sustained tenor lines.

Vaughan Williams’ famous “The Lark Ascending” was a shining light. From the moment violinist Madeleine Mitchell arrived on stage – late and sparkling in a scarlet dress – the hall was mesmerised. Christopher Latham expertly guided the orchestra through the difficult rhythms and fluctuating tempi. The violin solos were extraordinary, with deep carmel tones and legati passages uninterrupted by changes of the bow.

Two Australian premieres were given at this concert – the “Second Book of Madrigals” for six voices by composer-in-residence Gavin Bryars and “Paradise Haunts” for violin and piano by John Metcalf. The Song Company gave a strong performance of Bryars’ setting of Petrarchan Sonnets. With its suspensions, passing notes and other devices from 14th century counterpoint, one might easily have mistaken this serene work for Palestrina.

Metcalf’s “Paradise Haunts,” performed by Madeleine Mitchell and Tamara Anna Cislowska, was perhaps not the best choice of finale. This meandering work, entirely in C major, built up little dramatic weight and presented needless difficulties for the violinist. A promising beginning with unusual microtonal slides, soon degenerated into endless arpeggios. Technical issues in the writing compromised intonation in the violin part as the work progressed.

For this reviewer, the absolute highlight of the evening was Andrew Ford’s “Australian Aphorisms”, performed by the Song Company. Countertenor Tobias Cole was particularly magnificent in a performance which highlighted the ensemble’s fine musicianship. For this work, Ford sourced texts from Australian poets including David Campbell, Judith Wright and Les Murray. His highly original and witty song cycle illustrated the words, “Death, you’re more successful than America. Even if we don’t choose to join you, we do!” with rapid appoggiatura and striking dynamic contour. Reprising the pointillism of the opening, Ford reinvigorates Judith Wright’s, “At night, on the beach, the galaxy looks like a grin”, before moving into the subtle and rich sonorities of Barbara Blackman’s “The highest form of love is encouragement.” An elegant and clever composition ends on a mystical note, at David Campbell’s profound words “What is matter but a hardening of the light?”

Judith Crispin is a composer, writer, photographer and director of Manning Clark House .