This marked the end of a saga. Few amateur orchestras could have contemplated such an Everest of the symphonic repertory as a complete Mahler cycle. But the agony-laden opening Adagio of Symphony 10 (the rest was unfinished) brought this remarkable adventure to a close.

It was just a pity that the occasion felt more like a damp squib, so pitiful was the attendance. There was no main course: a concerto or a symphony, even both. Twenty unbroken minutes of Mahler with four lollipops were never going to do the trick.

The players must have sensed the lack of atmosphere. But there was plenty of brio in the overture to Die Meistersinger, a tip of the hat to Wagner’s 200th birthday, which falls on Wednesday.

The percussionless Mahler, much more exposed, was not as enthralling. Violas were tentative at the start and violins uncharacteristically ragged at the top. But quadruple woodwinds easily managed Mahler’s mildly manic lines and the ending was neatly serene.

Chabrier’s España was bold but never quite convincingly Spanish, except for its vivid trombones.

Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes were best when evoking the screaming wind and foamy brine.

Perhaps it was the Yorkshire connection that made Butterworth’s The Banks of Green Willow the most engaging of all. The composer spent his boyhood in York and at Aysgarth school.

York Guildhall Orchestra delivered his marvellously uncluttered orchestration with considerable finesse.

And whatever else, the Mahler cycle remains a tremendous achievement.