THIS performance prompted one audience member to remark: “We would have had to go to the Royal Festival Hall to hear anything like that.”

It was a stunning performance as Andrew Long (violin), Katie Stables (viola) and Zoe Long (cello) shared the harmonies of three string trios: Schubert’s B Flat Major D471, Beethoven’s G Major Opus 9, no 1, and Mozart’s Divertimento in E Flat Major K463.

Schubert’s Allegro was like a soothing and joyful evocation of the Dales landscape. The richness of their playing, each giving virtuoso performances, brought out the expressiveness and warmth of the first two movements of Beethoven’s String Trio. The Presto had the wow factor as they threw caution to the winds in an amazing performance to complete the first half.

The trio clearly enjoyed the intimacy of the venue and that added to the appreciation of Mozart’s String Trio.

Alfred Einstein wrote that this was one of Mozart’s noblest works and said it offered something special in the way of art, invention and good spirits.

The New World Trio captured all that in a breathtaking performance so complete an experience it could never have been followed by an encore.

They obviously enjoyed making beautiful music, from the sublime Adagio to the extraordinarily moving Andante. At the end, we could only be astonished at being able to share in Mozart’s intensely passionate tour de force exquisitely reproduced by the trio.

Next in the Wensleydale Concert Series is at Aysgarth church at 7.30pm on Saturday, October 8, when pianist Alicja Fiderkiewicz returns, this time with author Jessica Duchen.

Duchen will read excerpts from her book, Alicia’s Gift, about a girl born to play the piano. Fiderkiewicz will play music by Chopin, Debussy and Albeniz.

Tickets cost £12.50 in advance via the website www.wensleydaleconcertseries.co.uk or £15 at the door. Tickets for students and under-18s cost £3. Refreshments will be provided by the church.

Pip Land