THE TITLE suggests a luscious taste-tray of tempting musical delights, and that’s exactly what was delivered in this series of miniature concerts presented in the surrounds of two of Canberra’s beautifully restored heritage arts centres.

Gorman Arts Centre looked a picture with its lovely courtyards bathed in bright autumn sunlight, as the large audience assembled to be welcomed by Festival Artistic Director, Roland Peelman and divided into two groups, each sampling the same performances but in different sequences.

For the group choosing the main hall, the experienced commenced with a superbly sung performance of Monteverdi’s “The Nymph’s Lament”. Daniel Zapico’s atmospheric theorbo provided the perfect accompaniment for The Song Company’s, Richard Black, Mark Donnelly, Andrew O’Connor and Susannah Lawergren who, delivered a carefully nuanced, pitch-perfect performance of this arresting piece, providing a gracious entrée into the program.

Composer Gerard Brophy chose an arresting combination of harp and saxophone for his atmospheric, middle-eastern inspired, “Constantinopolis”, which received a sensitive interpretation from Alice Giles and Christina Leonard. The presence of the composer at the performance added immeasurably to the experience.

Moving to the B Block Hall, the audience was met by two young artisans, Hugh Withycombe and Madeline Gisz, busily engaged, as violinist, Anna McMichael, explained, in honing wood for the construction of a violin. That explanation provided the perfect introduction for McMichael’s virtuosic performance of a group of unaccompanied Tartini violin “Variations on Gavotte”, composed to display the art of violin bowing.

This information also proved useful as the audience moved into the Canberra Contemporary Art Space where the creak of the floor boards provided an appropriate, if unexpected, accompaniment to the growls and scrapes of Rohan Dasika’s masterful interpretation of Donatoni’s aggressively modern double bass solo “Lem” .

Then it was on to The Ralph Wilson Theatre where, with composer Adrian Pertout present, Kaylie Melville, lit by a single overhead spotlight, gave a highly theatrical performance of his fascinating “Exposiciones for glockenspiel”.

A sunny stroll through the autumn leaves to The Ainslie Arts Centre provided a welcome opportunity to chat with other festival attendees and swap responses to the various musical offerings before being ushered into the main concert hall and introduced to composer, Gerard Brophy for a thrilling performance of his “Trinity for violin, clarinet and piano” by a trio which included 2016 Festival Young Artist, flautist, Magdalenna Krstevska teamed with violinist, Anna McMichael and pianist, Roland Peelman.

The passion and tenderness inherent in De Falla’s “Seven Popular Spanish Songs” was beautifully realised by the warm mezzo tones of soprano, Hannah Fraser, elegantly accompanied on guitar by Rupert Boyd, which preceded a rousing performance of Milhaud’s colourful “King Rene Goes Walking” by Festival Young Artists, Kim Falconer (Flute) , Edward Wang (Oboe), Justin Sun (Bassoon), James Bradley (Horn) and Magdalenna Krstevska (clarinet), rounding out a generous and entirely satisfying musical experience , particularly memorable for the variety and quality of its eclectic components .