The Tailleferre Ensemble was founded in 2019 by Nicola Hands and Penelope Smith with the aim of promoting women in music. They have a special interest in redressing the balance of works performed by male and female composers, and in promoting lesser-known chamber works.

The pieces featured in this concert have been chosen as vibrantly colourful and expressive works, first exploring the energetic movements of Haydn's “London Trio”. The Yokoyama depicts a serene image of Caen with its beautiful ancient architecture, before moving on to an exciting yet slighty eerie Impromptu by Thea Musgrave, a duet for flute and oboe.

Alyssa Morris's “Brush Strokes” is a recent addition to the ensemble's repertoire, having been performed this year at the Nottingham Chamber Music Festival. It is inspired by the paintings of Monet, Seurat, Van Gogh, and Pollock, and is typical of Morris's programmatic writing.

The Tailleferre Ensemble has been praised for their exploration of different sound worlds through varied instrumentation, and this concert is no exception. After hearing the full ensemble, listeners will find Nicola LeFanu's “Sir Harlequin” a delightful example of the repertoire for solo bassoon. Based on the characters from commedia dell'arte, we meet Sir Harlequin and explore his dramatic and playfully cheeky nature.

The programme ends with Julius Röntgen's Wind Trio. In a deeply affecting second movement each instrument takes a soloistic role through some beautifully balanced wind writing, and the final movement ends with a passage of truly exciting virtuosity.