Any group with the word ‘party’ in its name sounds a sure-fire bet for a fun-filled evening, and that is certainly the case with the Oxford Concert Party. With their relaxed and informal approach, combined with outstanding musicianship and a touch of zany humour, a couple of hours in their company is a wonderfully uplifting experience.

The recent concert at St Michael and All Angels Church saw the group take a stroll through a repertoire spanning 300 years and a range of genres, from Vivaldi to French café music, dance music from Argentina and a variety of music from Europe and America, all in unique new arrangements by the OCP’s artistic director, multi-talented Arne Richards.

The six musicians have been together for nearly two decades, and it showed in their obvious rapport, and in the luscious sounds they produced together. The first half began with Vivaldi and moved on to some original compositions by Arne Richards — including a particularly glorious piece written for cellist Trevor Burley — as well as pieces by Scottish composer J. Scott Skinner and Irish composer O’Carolan, and finishing with Richards’ sublime setting of a poem by Yeats, He wishes for the cloths of Heaven. Switching deftly between harpsichord and accordion, Richards also proved to be something of a comedian as he interspersed the musical numbers with jokes and anecdotes.

Highlights of the second half included a gorgeous tango by Piazzola and several compositions by Richards, most of them dedicated to members of the band, while Barbara’s Bicycle was dedicated to his mother-in-law, and was a clever, witty and slightly whimsical recreation of an incident in which the Duke of Marlborough refused to allow her to cycle through the Blenheim Estate.

This was a bright, exuberant, laughter-packed evening by six superb musicians. If you missed them, look out for the live CD, due for release in January. Visit www.oxfordconcertparty.co.uk for details.