The Ryedale Festival closed with an unforgettable feast of orchestral music. The opening Cello Concerto in A minor by CPE Bach was a musical tour de force, setting down a marker for the rest of the programme.

The Allegro was rhythmic and pulsating with intense lyrical responses from cellist Louisa Tuck. The Andante was compelling, not least due to the tone and intensity projected from Louisa Tuck.

It wasn’t until the closing Allegro that soloist and orchestra played out the drama one expects from a concerto. The razor-sharp articulation was utterly compelling. I must confess at not having been convinced by Haydn’s Symphony No. 53 in D. I am now.

After a standard opening introduction, the symphony burst into life with an energy and excitement I didn’t know it had. To be sure, the Andante and Minuet did seem a little lightweight, yet the performance imbued the movements with charm and nobility.

The Presto scorched its way to a thrilling conclusion. Deborah Pritchard’s Skyspace was a kind of concerto for piccolo trumpet and orchestra. Simon Desbruslais was a superb soloist in what seemed to be a series of musical snapshots inspired by light and colour. I found the performance convincing and Ms Pritchard’s individual voice ever engaging.

The performance of Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 was the best of the lot. For example, the pacing of the first movement was near perfection, so intelligent and dramatically fulfilling. This is a superb orchestra with an exceptional director, Rebecca Miller.