IN a concert of last hurrahs for three composers there was beauty, depression and delight.

In Franz Schubert’s tragically short life – only 31 years – he wrote much lieder. One song, written only months before he died, is “Der Hirt auf dem Felsen” (‘The Shepherd on the Rock”), drawn from three poems and scored for soprano, clarinet and piano. It’s got some lovely melodies, written in the romantic style as a dialogue between clarinet and singer, and requires quite a deal of nimbleness.

Roland Peelman, at the piano, provided perceptive accompaniment, while acclaimed clarinetist, Orit Orbach, and fill-in soprano, Susannah Lawergren, from The Song Company (sadly the billed artist, Shu-Cheen Yu, had a cold) were in perfect harmony, in all senses. Orbach’s phrasing and expression were stunning and Lawergren’s voice beautifully suited the piece’s romanticism.

Then the Van Kuijk Quartet, from Paris, took to a now dimly-lit stage to play Shostakovich’s swan-song string quartet, number 15 in E-flat minor, which premiered in November, 1974, about nine months before his death. He knew he was on his way out when he wrote it, and it shows. Five of the six movements are marked slow, with the remainder very slow. And it’s all random concepts, rambling phrases that go nowhere, and no breaks between movements creating 35 minutes of incoherent misery. The section that sounds like a dozen flies buzzing past seems completely out of context.

Even so, Shostakovich’s piece is very difficult to play and the Van Kuijk Quartet played it brilliantly. Such slow tempi for such a sustained period, often with disjointed parts, require a great deal of teamwork, musical skill, and concentration. This ensemble was very much up for the challenge, playing with a sensitivity that saved the audience from total despair.

After interval, the Van Kuijk Quartet was back, augmented by violist, Florian Peelman, to play Mozart’s String Quintet No 3 in C. It wasn’t his last work by a long shot, but he was to live only another four and a half of his 35 years. Still, the piece lifted the spirits of the Fitters’ Workshop audience after the gloom of Shostakovich.

The ensemble simply was superb. Brilliant playing, a lightness of touch, sublime textures and a freshness of style and tempi that underscore their youth added charm and character to Mozart’s writing.

Three curtain calls later and the Quintet was persuaded to play an encore, delighting the audience with “Happy Birthday” and a variation or two in the style of Mozart, just so we didn’t go home and kick the cat.