WHEN works of the baroque era are performed on period instruments, problems of balance often solve themselves; when modern instruments are useil, asai this midday recital, the problems often remain. In this instance it was the over emphatic playing of the violinist that distorted the sound picture; the flute was forced into a subsidiary role and the guitar, an instrument which has changed little in the last few centuries, fought a losing battle.

This did not matter in Paganini's sonata for violin and guitar, which is principally a showpiece for violin and benefited from Thomas Jones's almost bullying style; and when the violin was silent, as in certain passages in the other works, flute and guitar contrived an agreeable modus vivendi.

Jane O'Leary's Duet, which was receiving its first performance, was written in full consciousness of the problem and made use of the deep toned alto flute instead of the standard instrument.

The composer had suggested that the audience might like to think of reflections on the surface of moving water; the piece could be said to drift along but the current was somewhat sluggish for a piece tasting about 10 minutes.