And after the soberity of the morning, the "dream" theme of the Szymanowski's programme was an efficacious chance of scene and mood.
Haydn, Ravel, a spot of interval coffee or sherry, then late Beethoven and a middle period Opus 18 Beethoven finale encore.

Haydn's Opus 50 No 5 in F is one of his nicknamed quartets. The Dream, as it happens, on account of its slow movement. He'd met Mozart, was staggered, then inspired, and we know what Mozart was to do with his K467 (the sheer gossamer reverie of the Elvira Madigan theme) piano concerto. I haven't had time to check history to see if Haydn got there first with this piece.

The Szymanowskis whispered and tiptoed into the work with their celebrated lightness of touch where needed or dreamed, and they finished it absolutely poised and assured. This group has a dynamic range that opens up much, and veils other things, and the whispering and tiptoeing were no unsuitable preparation for playing the Ravel Quartet.

Was it Ravel the crowd came to hear? Or was it the afternoon start?
Ravel's piece, in the same key as the Haydn, is complete entertainment with its tremendously inventive and variable textures, harmonies and melodies.

What would the quartet repertoire be without the two single contributions from he and his inspiration, Debussy? We could not have chamber concerts of this richness and diversity. Ravel's imagination, style, taste and technical supremacy are even more riveting and transporting, heard in performance than on record.

And the degree to which these Poles seemed at home with the material reminded us of Ravel's international communicating genius.
And, of course, so much of the material in this Ravel quartet satisfies our need to be able to listen, close our eyes, hear, and we can then dream of what Ravel wants us to.

We don't know whether that was Beethoven's intention in his late quartets. This was the A minor Opus 132. His choral Ninth Symphony is behind him, so too his choral Missa Solemnis, his two greatest concert works. The latter, I have heard conductor Sir Colin Davis claim, might even be the greatest piece ever written.

And only Beethoven himself could follow that. By taking us away from his public concert world and into his private, stone deaf one. What audible references to reality had he left? Whence come these sounds and harmonies and pauses? From no other possible mind or being than he.

Marion Scott believed his late quartets were masses without voices. We know that, in their time, they inhabited a new transcendental and unknown musical world, and to hear them suddenly, out of the blue, and not in sequence, we realise that that is the case even now.

I am still discovering the late Beethoven Quartets. I couold not begin to examine the quality of the Szymanowskis' interpretation or execution. But all I know is that they took me into a world beyond, into which only Beethoven was admitted, but into which he led us, we trembling in his footsteps.

Maybe that is all the two violinists, viola player and cellist can hope or, indeed, need to do. I am kicking myself for not asking the Szymanowskis afterwards whether that be true. But I will ask whomever plays my next late Beethoven quartet to me.

The next Coffee Concert diverts to melodic jazz from Acoustic Triangle, who are Tim Garland (saxophone and bass clarinet), Gwilym Simcock (piano and horn) and Malcolm Creese (double bass). They are reported to bring a mastery, an adventurousness and a combined ability to make one's breath gasp. All are admired soloists across the world with backgrounds in European classical music.

The material will be original compositions and improvisations, with arrangements of works by Allegri, Ravel, Kenny Wheeler, Ralph Towner and John Taylor. They present spontenaiety, a visual engagingness and and provoke thought.

It will be on December 16 at 11am.

Box office: 01273 736222.