Sheffield-born William Sterndale Bennett (1816-1875) was a prodigy championed by Mendelssohn who became a friend (and regular drinking companion) of Schumann. Sadly, a split career as composer, educator and administrator limited his output and today his works are infrequently heard (if at all) in the concert hall. A pity, as this Naxos disc shows his chamber music to be tautly constructed and memorable.

All three works here are a young man’s fancies, the earliest being an elegant, Haydnesque never-performed-in-his-lifetime String Quartet written when he was only 15. It’s a sunny work, its catchy themes cleanly argued. Eight years on, the charming Chamber Trio shows a relaxed and sure-footed grasp of structure with a real ear for...