THIS last recital in the Cathedral Concert Society’s current season was given by the young cellist and pianist who had previously impressed me in their Darlington concert.

Performing a largely different programme, it presented an opportunity to compare the two very different acoustics – Darlington’s Central Hall and the cathedral quire.

Interestingly, in the earlier performance, Ariana Kashefi’s rich cello tone had been a notable feature but in Ripon it was the fine balance between the two instruments which struck me the most.

For their opening piece, Beethoven’s fourth Cello Sonata, I thought piano and cello well very matched with much eye contact between the musicians so that they handled the quick changes of mood and tempo particularly well.

Poulenc’s less familiar Cello Sonata was wonderfully playful and cheerful at first, before moving smoothly from a gentle opening to a more passionate section and back again in the Cavatine.

In Schumann’s three Fantasiestücke, in the composer’s own arrangement for cello and piano, the instruments were again well balanced, especially in the quieter passages, and in Brahms’ First Cello Sonata the sound of each instrument was a constant pleasure.

This was a particularly well nuanced performance from the softest, quietest notes to the fuller sounds on the more vigorous final Allegro.

The society’s next season begins on Monday, October 12, with Elizabeth Watts and Julius Drake performing songs by Liszt, Hahn and Richard Strauss. Full details are online at riponconcerts.co.uk.

Peter Bevan