The Naxos series of chamber music by Lennox Berkeley here offers an attractive group of works, three from early in his career and one, the Quintet for piano and wind, representing his later work. Earliest is the Flute Sonata of 1939, when Berkeley was still influenced by the neo-classicism which his mentor in Paris, Nadia Boulanger, had instilled in him. It is a charming work, here stylishly played by flautist Patrick Williams, joined by Raphael Terroni, the pianist in all four works on the disc. Originally the piece was written for recorder and harpsichord, commissioned by Carl Dolmetsch, but it works just as well here on flute and piano. The jaunty first movement is followed by a tender slow movement in triple time, rounded off with a jolly finale, with the piano offering an oompah accompaniment.

The Trio for horn, violin and piano, written as a counterpart to Brahms’s Horn Trio, was commissioned by pianist Colin Horsley in 1944, with a well constructed Allegro leading to a deeply reflective slow movement and a final theme-and-variations full of strong contrasts and with the seventh variation bringing the emotional heart of the piece. The Viola Sonata of 1945 dates from the same period and more strikingly reflects the mood of darkness at the end of the Second World War, with a sombre slow introduction leading to a first movement full of strong contrasts. A darkly lyrical slow movement leads to a light, more vigorous finale in triple time, with more neo-classical echoes.

The Quintet of 1975 was commissioned by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in New York and is the most substantial piece on the disc. A sombre slow introduction leads to a sonata-form first movement full of contrasted moods, followed in the four-movement structure by a lively Scherzo and a brief intermezzo leading directly into the vigorous finale, in which a striking clarinet solo (3'56") leads to a sequence of passages for piano and the wind instruments in turn. A strong work representing Berkeley at his stylish best.

Outstanding in the ensemble are the brilliant horn player, Stephen Stirling, and the violinist, Susanne Stanzeleit, though all offer excellent performances and are very well recorded with plenty of air around the sound and clean separation. Another excellent disc from Naxos, well worth the modest price.