Stanford composed nine concertos, only four of which made it into print. The Cello Concerto in D minor is an early work dating from 1879-80. Apart from the slow movement, the concerto was never performed and soon consigned to dusty oblivion by its creator. An endearing effort it proves, too, the solo writing always grateful and assured (the central Adagio displays a winsome lyrical charm reminiscent of Dvorák and Sullivan) and deftly scored, above all in the finale which trips along most engagingly. Alexander Baillie’s impassioned and stylish advocacy could hardly be improved upon (he also supplies the first-movement cadenza); Nicholas Braithwaite and the RPO provide alert support, though string tone is not as sweet as it might be.

Completed four decades later, the Third Piano Concerto survives in just a two-piano score and was orchestrated for this recording by Geoffrey Bush. Perhaps the imposing opening Allegro moderato, like the performance itself, takes a while to get into its stride, but the slow movement has one or two unexpected twists and the exuberant finale is a joy. Malcolm Binns gives an accomplished rendering, but his chosen instrument sounds in less than first-class condition and there’s little of the enticing bloom evident on his splendid 1976 Lyrita recording of Stanford’s Second Concerto. Musically, however, there’s plenty to savour.