“I have never heard such an appalling row”, the 19-year-old Benjamin Britten wrote in his diary during one particularly agonising rehearsal of his Sinfonietta, Op 1.

Indeed, the intricacies of the precocious work are enough to test the mettle of the best.

It was a challenge members of Royal Northern Sinfonia rose to with aplomb, as they opened Sage Gateshead’s Late Mix series.

A work carrying the seeds of Britten’s sound world, its development was conveyed with clarity and the whole built to a thrilling finale as the winds picked up the pace and passed the quicksilver melody seamlessly between them.

Laying out his own musical stall, Thomas MacMillan of Newcastle University was able to showcase his Thousand Plateaus; written as part of a composition project held in collaboration with the sinfonia.

The young conductor Mark Edwards had took firm control of the changes of tempi, while laying out the shifting musical landscapes with cogency.

There were some refreshing ideas in MacMillan’s work and one can only wish him the best as he extends his musical horizons.

Colin Matthew’s Oboe Quartet No 1, with the instrument taking the place of a lead violin, was not an instantly accessible work, but oboist Michael O Donnoll’s deft playing and supportive accompaniment carried it well.

In a year marking Britten’s centenary, what better way to round off the evening than with a work regarded as the composer’s swansong; the String Quartet No 3.

Second violin Sophie Appleton and violist Michael Gerrard engaged in a lovely entwined playing in the Duet, while lead violin Jane Nossek’s developed beautiful singing tones in the Solo. The Venetian bells Britten so loved were evoked with an eerie resonance in the last movement, underpinned by the warm earthy tones of cellist Louisa Tuck.

Britten would have approved.