New Zealand Secondary Schools Symphony Orchestra at Auckland Town Hall

It is affectionately known as the NZ-Triple-S-O, an institution that for decades has encouraged young New Zealanders to taste the joys of life in the orchestral ranks.

Friday night's concert was a fitting finale after a week of intensive rehearsal. Almost 70 musicians under conductor Owen Clarke took the stage in a programme that ranged from New Zealand contemporary to standard repertoire.

With the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra organising the event, it was appropriate to launch the evening with Lissa Meridan's Firecracker, a whizzbanger of a piece that won the APO's Century Fanfare Competition. Youthful enthusiasm - with brass, wind and percussion firing in all directions - made it a gripping rollercoaster ride.

Fantasma/Cantos II by Toru Takemitsu received its New Zealand premiere. Trombonist Grant Sinclair, an armory of mutes by his side, was a spot-on soloist. Conductor Clarke, a trombonist himself, skilfully blended the Japanese composer's subtle jazz inflections with his customary contemplative soundscapes.

After interval, Brahms's Second Symphony proved too demanding, although there were moments of beauty, with lilting cellos and solid tutti work in the third movement.

There were also guest artists. Tzenka Dianova, known for her regular concerts of contemporary piano music at the University of Auckland, brought out the poetic pulsing and flecks of hypnotic melody in Philip Glass' Mad Rush.

Shyam Sankaran, Tian tian Xu and Leo Shin conveyed the winning lyricism of an F sharp minor Trio by Armenian composer Arno Babadzhanian.

Young composer Jeremy Reid carried off his MC duties with a flair beyond his years. Using his own witty script, he displayed a talent for ferreting out curious facts that a seasoned programme-note writer might envy.

In these times when classical music is too often downgraded and young people are encouraged to opt for easier and less demanding modes of expression, the commitment of all involved with this concert was a rally call.

It wouldn't have happened without supportive families, a handful of generous sponsors and APO players, who were in the audience enjoying the rewards of a week's coaching.