Anything that encourages youngsters into the classical music world has to be a good thing, and the Oxford Music Festival has been doing that successfully for nearly 40 years. Now attracting 700 to 800 entries, many of them from schoolchildren, the festival goes from strength to strength, and Sunday’s Festival Concert, at which a selection of the best were invited to perform, was testament to the incredible depth of talent in the county.

In past years, the concert programme has included a smattering of familiar names intermingled with new, but this year, unusually, most of the performers were newcomers — which is encouraging and refreshing.

As always, their ages ranged from tiny tots — who have the advantage of possessing the ‘Ahh’ factor before they play a note — to adults displaying an impressive proficiency.

The Fairbairn family, who opened proceedings with a trio of Scottish songs, sported performers at both ends of the scale, with some competent piano accompaniment from mum, exquisite vocals from dad and a tiny boy and girl who delighted all with their singing and violin playing. The ‘Ahh’ factor was definitely alive and kicking there.

Other ‘tinies’ who raised a smile were pianists Magnus Andrews and Thomas Uglow (pictured with the Lord Mayor of Oxford, Elise Benjamin), who impressed with a lively rendition of a Walter Carroll march, while another young player, Jojo Blyth, gave a remarkable recital on the harp — the first time, I believe, the Festival Concert has featured this instrument.

There was plenty of vocal talent on display this year, including some beautiful duet singing from sisters Claire and Fiona Watters, a lovely rendition of Somervell’s Loveliest of Trees by Eleanor Hurrell, and an impressive recital by Alison Baily, while Alexander Alder and Reuben Havelock had fun with Ted Dicks’s Right Said Fred.

There were many other highlights — too many to mention, alas — but all should be congratulated on yet another display of extraordinary maturity and commitment. Wonderful.