Einojuhani Rautavaara – Cantus Arcticus (Concerto for Birds and Orchestra)
Witold Lutosławski – Symphony No. 4
Vítězslava Kaprálová – Suita Rustica
Bohuslav Martinů – Symphony No. 4

Marc Dooley conductor
Tom Evans leader

7.30pm, Smith Square Hall (formerly St John’s Smith Square)

Tickets £14, concessions £12, under-16s £9. Booking fees apply.

A ‘concerto for birds and orchestra’, Rautavaara’s ‘Cantus Arcticus’ blends recorded birdsong from the Arctic Circle with hauntingly beautiful orchestral music. This is followed by Lutosławski’s compelling and atmospheric Fourth Symphony which packs a dazzling variety of sounds into a brief but eventful two movements. Folk-inspired ‘Suita Rustica’ by Kaprálová draws on traditional Moravian melodies to create a colourful and energetic tribute to her Czech heritage. The evening ends with Martinů’s big-hearted Fourth Symphony, written in America in 1945, an optimistic work brimming with lyrical melodies.

Illustration by Caroline Whitehead