Toms played with scratchy rhythmic emphasis and energy beneath Clare’s melodic lines and repetitive siren-like motifs during opening number ‘Circus Dreaming,’ to which the introduction of the cello added rich depth.

Same sounding ‘Blaze,’ inspired by the use of chords and brass in Carla Bley’s big band music, sadly failed to translate for small string ensemble: Though playful in tone, none of Bley’s subtle use of voicing to build thrilling crescendos in her arrangements on, for example, her 1996 record, ‘The Carla Bley Big Band Goes To Church,’ could be heard; indeed Connors’ work seemed steeped in composer, Michael Nyman’s minimalist music of rolling phrases with droning quaver accompaniments and switching time signatures (Connors played in the Michael Nyman Band as lead violinist for some years).

Toms’ clapping the rhythm at the beginning of ‘Neat And Tidy’ added interest, though it felt out of place as disappointingly, there was no recurrence of this, and intonation problems proliferated (especially Toms’) throughout, ruining the already dissonant harmonies.

‘Sideways,’ with its swinging pizzicato cello lines, and distinctive vibrato-less tone, emphasised by the harsh lighting in the room, made for a welcome change, but Connors’ cover of German techno band, Kraftwerk’s ‘Robot,’ was the highlight, where the transfer from electronic music to acoustic strings really worked with Toms making his violin sound like a snare drum. Overall, though, the trio failed to pull the performance off convincingly.

– Gemma Boyd