And why in an age when presentation seems to dominate the airwaves was there

And why, in an age when "presentation" seems to dominate the airwaves, was there no attempt to tell the kids in the hall what was going on?I took an intelligent 10-year-old, bound for Eton, who had never been to a concert before: he was not only bored out of his box but, I suspect, put off going to another concert for some time. Stravinsky's Octet added spice and wit, with breathtaking playing from a pair of chattering bassoons.After such a cherishable evening, who can the BBC possibly have had in mind as an audience for its Bank Holiday Monday "family concert"? An all 20th-century programme, including one world premiere, hardly seemed likely to draw the punters and their little ones; indeed, they stayed away in droves. Peter Donohoe, a pianist whose playing can be percussive, was an ideal soloist in both works.In between came two great octets. Mozart's sublime C minor Serenade, K388, offered a complete change of mood after the Messiaen: a little night music performed with the most exquisite musicianship. African rhythms and sounds (thumb piano in particular) permeate the score, but Volans has assimilated these native influences to provide a remarkable music that compromises neither his roots nor his Western training. If Messiaen conjures up the colourful plumage and exotic sounds of some verdant, chattering rain forest, Volans seems drawn to the wide-open plains of his native South Africa. The new Volans is in a single movement lasting some 20 minutes and requiring a large wind band of 22 players, three double-basses (a la Mozart or Dvorak) and two percussion.

The pianist is treated not so much as a soloist as an ensemble member. Textures are transparent, the piano often playing in octaves or tracing delicate filigree patterns. The worlds of Messiaen and Volans are surprisingly close. Both are profoundly influenced by the natural world, both use similar types of material (essentially static harmonically), both manipulate blocks to create tension and movement, both have keen ears for kaleidoscopic colouring, both revel in hard-edged, punchy rhythms. As in La serva padrona, Peebles here extracted fine things from the small band, highlighting the value of making clear dynamic contrasts and setting judicious speeds.n Ends tomorrow Booking: 01892 515152. Framed by two concertos for piano and wind - Messiaen's fantastical Oiseaux exotiques and Kevin Volans's new BBC commission (here receiving its second outing under the gifted young conductor, Daniel Harding) - the Netherlands Wind Ensemble's delightful late-night debut Prom last Thursday offered a particularly well-planned programme, each item positively enlightening the next.

Even so, their fresh neo-classicism echoed the uplifting spirit of the overture to Pergolesi's comedy of manners Lo frate 'nnamorato, delivered with great panache by Broomhill's resident orchestra, Eos. Admittedly, Respighi's Ancient Airs and Dances have no connection with Pergolesi, and some of the original tunes used by Stravinsky as the foundation for his Pulcinella-based Suite Italienne, played with passionate intensity by cellist Josephine Knight and pianist David Wickham, have since been attributed to others. Her delivery of "A Serpina penserete", however, was vocally and dramatically powerful, a match for Hargreaves's best work.The wrinkled retainer Vespone, played by Jason Furnival, bumbled and fumbled with an awkwardness that seemed to come naturally, gingerly soaping Uberto's chops during his first aria before setting to work with a rusty cut-throat razor, and later powdering his master's wig to add further realism to the scene of domestic absurdity.The conductor, Charles Peebles, neatly side-stepped the problem of finding a suitable chamber opera to share the bill with Pergolesi's short masterpiece by prefacing the work with a programme of other pieces inspired or written by the short-lived Italian. What's more, he has a knack for the natural delivery of Italian recitative lacking among so many otherwise admirable young British singers.Marie-Louise Aitken's sassy Serpina, the serving maid, managed to catch her man with a teasing mix of vocal expression and body language, even if the former was less varied and alluring than the latter.

If that be so, then many singers have fallen badly at the first fence, unhappy with the wide vocal range demanded in the score. Matthew Hargreaves is blessed both with the basso qualities necessary to give substance to the character and with the lightness of voice to explore Uberto's upper reaches - a bass-baritone of attractive tonal richness, coupled with secure flexibility. Had it been completed, Chadwick's Cameo series would undoubtedly have presented one of the most powerful and relevant artworks of our time. The Cornish baritone, left partially deaf by the onset of Meniere's syndrome a few years back, is presently considering future career opportunities. La serva padrona served notice that Luxon has a rare balance of wit and wisdom that should guarantee him worthwhile employment. Among the ancient myths associated with Pergolesi's intermezzo, few have less grounding in truth than the persistent claim that the role of Uberto, the master of the house, "sings itself", offering the sort of music that gives instant satisfaction to the baritone voice.