It is always good to see something positive emerge from tragedy. The two-day Sophie's Silver Lining Festival at Chacombe, near Banbury, is a perfect example.

When 19-year-old Sophie Large died in a car crash in 1998, her parents, Stephen and Cherry, were inspired to establish a fund in her memory, with the intention of helping performing arts students. The annual festival not only helps raise funds, but gives a platform to talented young musicians.

The second of this year's concerts, held in Chacombe Church last Sunday, was a programme of music that reflected the idea of darkness turning to light. Or, as newly-appointed artistic director Nathan Williamson put it, they all had "a deep sense of longing which is fulfilled in different ways".

First up was a selection of Brahms and Schumann lieder, their romantic stories conveyed expressively and purposefully by baritone James Robinson, a recent graduate of the National Opera Studio and a Silver Lining scholar. I later discovered that he had been singing in the WNO chorus at Oxford all week, and has worked with Glyndebourne and Royal Opera. Robinson's rapid rise in the opera world comes as no surprise, given his vocal and dramatic flair.

A complete contrast was On Wenlock Edge, Vaughan Williams' settings of A.E. Houseman's brooding texts. Zoe South, another Silver Lining scholar, gave an impassioned performance, full of emotional depth and intensity. It was a wonder how she managed to sustain the energy so effectively.

Finally, there was Elgar's epic Piano Quintet, written during the last years of the composer's creativity. The musicians showed great empathy with Elgar's mood as he moves from nostalgia to hope, his exquisite melodies allowed to shine through with exceptional clarity.

This was my first visit to the Sophie's Silver Lining Festival, but I hope it won't be my last; I can't wait to see what delights are in store for us next year. For more information about the fund, visit www.silverlining.org.uk