Arnold Bax’s Piano Trio in B-flat major makes an invigorating opening. The composer’s final chamber work, written in 1945–46, it combines broad lyrical writing with moments of mystery and an unusually rhythmic finale. Seldom heard in the concert hall, it offers a rewarding opportunity to discover a distinctive British work filled with changing colours and moods.  

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Fauré’s Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 120, belongs to the remarkable group of chamber works written near the end of his life. Its long, flowing melodies and delicate interplay create music that is poised and understated yet deeply expressive. The beautiful central Andantino provides the still, lyrical heart of the work, while the vigorous finale gathers excitement and momentum.

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After the interval comes Brahms’s Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8, one of the great works of the repertoire. Brahms first composed it in his early twenties and returned to it more than three decades later, combining the ardour of youth with the judgement of a mature master. From its broad opening melody, first heard on the piano and taken up by the cello, to its turbulent conclusion, the work offers warmth, intimacy, grandeur and tremendous emotional range.