The Royal Northern College of Music's Day of Percussion featured a host of international stars, ranging from traditional Mexican dance artists to contemporary rock drummers. Rounding off the day was Brazilian composer Ney Rosauro, a marimba wizard whose work has achieved a level of respect and popularity not often accorded to classical percussionists.

He called on the services of the RNCM percussion ensemble, together with a pianist and double bass player. The premier of Rosauro's second marimba concerto was presaged with three shorter pieces; a duet for marimba and vibraphone, a solo marimba etude and a mini suite called Japanese Overture. Rosauro's interest in eastern culture runs deep and the Overture presented its pentatonic themes with an impressive degree of confidence. While a trio of drummers set up a pounding tribal rhythm, the three marimbas provided elusive slivers of melody, trading in a sequence of exquisitely orchestrated question and answers.

The duo performance found Rosauro and his sparring partner calling upon the kind of dynamic shading that is often absent in jazz marimba. Still, the instruments' innate prettiness was very much in evidence, and the flamenco-derived solo turn almost came unstuck as Rosauro tried in vain to inject some Mediterranean passion into proceedings.

The concerto itself was a curiously frustrating affair, well-orchestrated and attractively arranged but lacking percussive fire. There was certainly no dark Bartok-style atmospherics or Stravinskian clamour, just more tinkling pleasantries and an over-reliance on melodic insouciance. In fact, the work seemed to contain little more emotional weight than the carnivalesque lollipop offered up for the encore. Rosauro's music is artfully put together and unstintingly pleasant to listen to, but it doesn't leave you feeling that you've had any powerful truths drummed into you.