IT REALLY should have been a perfect night. Start with a warm festive atmosphere, mulled wine and hand decorated Christmas cakes (a house concert tradition). Then throw in a superb opening act from a promising newcomer, then without further ado, entering through the kitchen virtuoso guitar player Jon Gomm to dazzle and amaze. He started to, but then started to sing. That’s where the evening spluttered.

Returning to opener Billie Marten, this talented songwriter had flashes of brilliance, a line here, a lovely turn of phrase there and clearly influenced by all the right kind of people. While the Ripon teenager was arguably too self-deprecating, her voice was a lovely clear instrument and her guitar playing was masterfully economical. She is definitely a name you’ll hear again.

Gomm initially appeared slightly startled, but soon impressed. He has developed an amazing technique which recreates a band sound on his acoustic guitar (named Wilma). Played by flourishing his hands over every inch of the guitar with remarkable coordination, he truly has a unique sound. Clearly well-read and passionate about causes, all this should have resulted in a barnstorming show, yet the songs too often fell flat. Yes, the technique impressed, but after that it felt like diminishing returns as his faux soul singing and forgettable lyrics made little connection.

Add to this long pauses to retune and a tendency to preach to his audience meant the performance didn’t gain momentum. The most memorable moments were wordless; a lovely and ambitious Chinese piece dedicated to a brave young man - Wukan Motorcycle Kid - as well as the opening Dance of the Last Rhino.

As this York venue quietly approaches 300 performances and growing steadily in confidence, the stage is set for an impressive 2015.