London Conchord Ensemble at the Dolphin on 8 June

[Robin Orton]

Can't enthuse quite so uninhibitedly about this Sydenham International Music Festival recital. A technically superb wind quintet, but I found their programme (mostly American and all new to me) a bit insubstantial - too much Fun for my taste.

The highlight, I thought, was Beethoven's variations on La ci darem la mano - played on flute, oboe and bassoon, although I see the original was for two oboes and a cor anglais. A wonderfully witty and inventive piece - when was it written, I wonder? I also enjoyed the finale (a Stravinskian 'jazz march' ) of John Harbison's wind quintet.

The recital opened with Samuel Barber's Summer Music for Wind Quintet. I found this rather boring - wistful and watercressy. The second half was devoted to The Bremen Town Musicians by Jon Deak - probably a British premier, we were told. A sort of modern Peter and the Wolf, requiring the musicians to wear funny hats and shout out bits of text from time to time. Moderately amusing - quite Fun, in fact - and some nice post-modernist touches. But not much to get one's teeth into.

Next time, how about the Schoenberg wind quintet? This lot would do it brilliantly.