The contrasts were stimulating. The mezzo Luciana Mancini’s full-blooded Dido’s Lament was met with the sharp iciness of the pianist Natacha Kudritskaya’s Rameau; jaunty Purcell prefaced anguished Monteverdi. Most overwhelming, though, was Strauss’s Metamorphosen, in string septet version — a devastating cry of despair.

Strauss’ Metamorphosen, devilishly tricky, was effortlessly crafted by Ticciati, the director and violinist, and his team: the beautiful viola solo was caressed down to the cello before being passed up again, while each section played and interacted with a wonderfully muted sound. This was music, one felt, that was played for and between themselves – a collective grief, a communal consolation.