The Mornington Peninsula is usually alive with the sound of music at this time of year, but the continuing impact of the pandemic means that this year’s Peninsula Summer Music Festival looks a little different.

Artistic director and oboist Ben Opie is hosting five videos of short performances performed over five days at some of the Victorian peninsula’s beautiful locations. The videos are available on YouTube.

There’s a wide variety of music on offer, from the mellow jazz of Andrea Keller and her trio to lute music from the courts of Versailles.

Small is beautiful could well be the catch-cry of Opie’s Inventi Ensemble, six chamber musicians who specialise in performing large scale works. Filming their version of Dvorak’s New World Symphony, arranged by Glynn Davies, at Main Ridge Estate was not without its problems – the pandemic of course, a freak lightning storm causing delays and even an earthquake on the day of the recording.

The six players – Opie, oboe, Melissa Doecke, flute, Cameron Burnes, bassoon, Kyla Matsuura-Miller, violin, William Murray, viola, and Stephanie Stamopoulos, cello – generate enough skill and verve...