It requires a great leap of faith to turn out for a recital consisting entirely of new and little-known music. On Saturday, the Holywell was packed with people who had done just that — and they were rewarded with an adventurous selection of songs that fearlessly explored a range of emotions, rhythms, textures and tonal colours, all brought to life by an exemplary line-up of soloists.

Retired local doctor Donald Lane, who only started composing during the 1990s, joined forces with his mentor Cecilia McDowall to put together this programme of songs that were unmistakeably contemporary but firmly rooted in the English song tradition. This was particularly noticeable in the final piece, In the Poppy Field by Irish poet James Stephens, in which Lane’s vocal line is interwoven with a traditional Irish folk melody, Trotting to the Fair.

The focal point of the programme, arguably, was the premiere of Lane’s song cycle Kings and Tanists, again using the poetry of James Stephens. The songs are based on the succession of Irish clans, the Tanist being the person who is next in line for clan leadership. Stephens’s poems are concerned with ensuring that the Tanist is sufficiently virtuous to take on this important role. Lane wrote the song cycle for tenor James Gilchrist, who performed it on Saturday with a heartfelt realisation of the drama and imagery of the text and the natural rhythm of the music, imbuing both with passion and commitment.

There was some equally convincing work from soprano Jane Harrington, who was vocally and dramatically impressive in McDowall’s Shakespearian settings, What ’tis to Love, and her settings of two intriguing songs by Russian ‘dissident’ poet Irina Ratushinskaya. Flautist Julian Sperry displayed lightness of touch and a dazzling technique in selected songs by both Lane and McDowall, while pianist Anna Tilbrook did a sterling job as accompanist.