“So, Townsville”, they said.  “How would you like to spend 10 days in Queensland this July with only a handful of the world’s top chamber musicians for company?”.  “What’s not to like”, I said.  And so here I am on my hotel balcony on a sunny Friday afternoon, a pleasant 25 degrees, listening to a really rather good violinist practice in the room next to mine.

I’m not sure who my musical mystery neighbour might be but it’s possibly Natsuko Yoshimoto, Concertmaster with the Adelaide Symphony and formerly a leader of the Australian String Quartet.  I suspect this to be the case as I’ve been informed that Wouter Vossen, the leader of the Dutch Storioni Trio, has damaged his shoulder and at relatively short notice, Natsuko has stepped into the breach.  It’s a pretty full programme as far as piano trio work goes so I feel a lot of respect (and rehearsal) will be due – and I’m rather hoping to be a regular party to it, albeit through the walls.

For anyone who has never been to the Australian Festival of Chamber Music (or AFCM as I’ll be calling it), that is one of its draw-cards – the chance to...