When you see Roderick Williams’ name in a programme, you know that whatever he’s singing is in safe hands. And so he proved last week, when he joined forces with the Symphonia Academica to bring the ninth English Music Festival to a memorable finale.

Exploring neglected 20th century English music is the festival’s raison d’etre, and this was a fascinating stroll through some of the gems to have come out of that era. First there was Robin Milford’s instantly engaging Miniature concerto in G, with its bouncy opening, lyrical middle section and then its jaunty conclusion.

Rutland Boughton’s largely unknown Aylesbury Games provided a contrast with its rhapsodic variations on a simple but distinctive seven-note theme, while the richly melodic and textured score of Finzi’s glorious Romance for String Orchestra made this a delightful miniature, notable particularly for an exquisite violin solo in the middle section.

Under conductor David Beaman’s decisive and energetic guidance, the Symphonia Academica showcased each piece with clarity and eloquence, adapting deftly to the different styles.

The highlights, though, were the vocal pieces – Michael Hurd’s Shore Leave and six songs from Butterworth’s A Shropshire Lad – with Roderick Williams alchemising every note into pure gold. Williams displayed a strong empathy with the text, imbuing every word with meaning and purpose.

Add to that the warm timbre of his voice, the intelligent phrasing, the nicely-judged dynamics, the force of his personality and the effortless star quality that he brings to everything he does, and this really was a performance to savour. Unforgettable.