included in the Oxford Coffee Concert last Sunday, superbly performed by Gemma Rosefield and Ashley Wass, were intensely moving. The Cello Sonata and the Sonatina for solo piano both date from 1949. They are sombre, melancholy pieces containing dark, agitated passages alongside fine examples of the lyrical slow movements which are a feature of this composer’s work. The music, as always with Rawsthorne, is concise, lucid, and full of integrity. He is a distinctive voice.

Rosefield’s playing in the adagio of the sonata was passionate and taut, while Wass captured perfectly the demonic opening of the last movement of the Sonatina. Let’s hope the Rawsthorne Trust, which sponsored this concert, is planning more Oxford recitals of Rawsthorne’s music.

The concert also included works by three other British composers — William Alwyn, David Matthews and James Francis Brown. Neither Matthews nor Brown was in the advertised programme — but their works proved to be delightful additions. Moreover both composers were present to introduce their pieces. Alwyn’s Fantasy Waltzes for solo piano is a suite of 11 pieces of varied mood and character, which were inspired by a visit to Greig’s home in Norway. Wass has recorded the complete set for Naxos. We heard the first six of these virtuosic pieces.

David Matthews’s Journeying Songs are so called because they were written during periods of travel. The two played on Sunday are for solo cello, the second piece written for Gemma Rosefield. They are warm, attractive works.James Francis Brown’s Prospero’s Isle takes its inspiration from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, presenting a musical portrait of the island and its inhabitants. Prospero is represented by a strong cello theme It’s a well crafted and engaging work, full of charm and wit.

Rosefield and Wass are rising international stars — Wass is a Radio 3 New Generation Artist — and opportunities to hear them are worth seeking out.