THE University of York’s Chamber Orchestra were joined by student soloists in a showcase of their talent on Wednesday night.

Carlos Zamora conducted the première of his Concerto for Recorders and Chamber Orchestra. Both the composer and the accomplished soloist, Carmen Troncoso, are from Chile. As chamber orchestras go, Zamora specifies a big one, but balance was never a problem.

It all felt like an extended improvisation, favouring combinations and colours over conventional concertante dialogue. The energetic first movement requires a sopranino recorder; the occasionally menacing second calls for a Paetzold alto—an intriguing instrument. The third movement, for alto recorder, leads to a cadenza, then a sudden, clangourous conclusion.

In Mozart’s early Concerto K. 299, Megan Dawes’s flute and Olivia Ter-Berg’s harp duetted amiably, particularly in the slow movement. In the outer movements, the orchestra missed the crispness that could have lightened and enlivened the piece.

A group of elegiac works for strings alone followed: Finzi’s Prelude Op. 25 needed more dynamic range, but Bridge’s muted wartime Lament of 1915 was memorably moving, and the spiced Englishness of Finzi’s Romance Op. 11 was nicely caught, almost Elgarian in its richness.

For Finzi’s Shakespeare cycle Let Us Garlands Bring, baritone George Clark joined the strings. His unwavering tone, impeccable intonation, clear diction and communicative openness are engaging. Come away, Death had a steady tread that deepened its emotional heft and made for a winning performance.

The experienced John Stringer conducted everything except Zamora’s Concerto: the professionalism of his young musicians is commendable.