It was very heartening last Wednesday evening to see the Sheldonian’s orchestra ‘pit’ filling up not with an adult ensemble, as is customary, but with a troupe of youngsters, all still at school but displaying the kind of poise and dignity that spoke of commitment and serious intention. From the disciplined, no-nonsense way in which they tuned up, and the calm, confident entrance of leader Maddy Clarke, you sensed this was going to be more than just an averagely competent performance.

Conductor Michael Stinton — celebrating his 20th year with the orchestra — provided energetic, enthusiastic and inspirational direction to his young charges, drawing out the very best from them, encouraging them to ever-greater heights in a programme that challenged their technique and musicality in a variety of ways.

The Prelude to Humperdinck’s fairytale opera Hansel and Gretel made for a stirring opening. True, the horns made a slightly shaky start, but otherwise the players captured the spirit of the piece beautifully. The opera has rarely been out of the operatic repertoire since its premiere in 1893, and this was a thrilling and moving reminder of just what a wonderful piece it is.

We were then transported to the Caucasian Mountains with the orchestral suite Caucasian Sketches by Russian composer Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov. This delightful piece was a joy from start to finish, with the orchestra once again capturing the essence of the music with obvious relish. The final two movements, ‘In a Mosque’ and ‘Procession of Sardar’, were particularly glorious with their evocation of the Orient.

And so to the final piece, César Franck’s Symphony in D Minor, delivered in wonderfully upbeat style, with some fine pizzicato work from the strings and stirring contributions from the wind and brass, all adding up to a magnificent finale.