Lucy Humphris (trumpet) and Harry Rylance (piano)

Lunchtime concerts are a wonderful platform for new talent, today’s coming from the Royal Academy. Their entertaining and well-conceived programme opened reassuringly with Humphris’ spirited virtuoso arrangement of Respighi’s ‘Balletto’ from ‘Ancient Airs and Dances’. In complete contrast followed Takemitsu’s ‘Paths’ for solo trumpet, a haunting dialogue.

The mood changed again with Rachmaninov’s impassioned B minor Prelude for solo piano, and again with Bruch’s sensuously mellow ‘Canzone’ for flügelhorn and piano. After Janáček’s impressionistic suite ‘In the Mists’ and Rachmaninov’s G sharp minor Prelude, the concert concluded jubilantly with Harry James’s ‘Trumpet Concerto’, a jazzy work bursting with bravura swagger.

St Nicholas’ Church, 21 May 2018

Rating: