Coleridge-Taylor's 11 minute Ballade was written for the 1898 Three Choirs Festival after Elgar told the committee he didn't have time to produce a new work, and suggested Samuel instead. It is fun and lively, but very Elgar inspired and late Victorian. South Korean violinist Kim Bomsori (b. 1989) was the soloist in Bruch's ever popular 1st Violin Concerto, and we had the three Brahms Hungarian Dances he personally scored for orchestra in 1869. The major piece was Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra, a gorgeous five movement orchestral work described as a concerto on the basis that "each section of the orchestra is treated in a soloistic and virtuostic way". It was written in 1943 and premiered by the Boston Symphony in 1944. German female conductor Anja Bihlmaier (b. 1978) is the Principal conductor of the Dutch Residente Orchest of The Hague, where she has been since 2021.

Concert held partially the commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Royal Northern College of Music, featuring a new work by Grace-Evangeline Mason (b. 1994) who studied at the RNCM. Many of the players of the BBC Philharmonic are alumni, and they were joined on stage by current students. Mason's new five minute piece "Ablaze the Moon" was fun - quite lively and interesting. To quote one 5* review of the concert, the new work was "....based on a poem by the American writer Sara Teasdale, the unheard words of which dictate the contours of the woodwind melody that forms its kernel. Impressionist string phrases hovering over penumbral dissonances suggest moonlight in darkness. It’s quietly effective, and was beautifully done." Stephen Hough made light work of the 1st Rachmaninov Piano Concerto with a fantastic performance and the BBC Phil played Mahler's 1st Symphony brilliantly. I am not a big Mahler fan, but this work is so full of good tunes and wonderful orchestration that I always enjoy it.

Second piece by Coleridge-Taylor, his rather lyrical Violin Concerto from 1912, composed just before his death for American violinst Maud Powell. Soloist was US born former BBC New Generation Artist, Elena Urioste. The "Five Études-tableaux" (or "Table Pictures") were composed by Rachmaninov for the piano, and orchestrated by Respighi. The actual themes were disclosed to Respighi, and are "The Fair", "The Sea and Seagulls", "Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf", "Funeral March", and "March". They are good fun as you'd expect. The Beethoven 5 was of course superbly played. Otaka (b. 1947) is the Life Conductor of the BBC NOW, and was it's principal conductor in 1987-1995. I have always wondered what it would have been like to have been at that four hour concert on 22nd December 1808, when the 5th and 6th symphonies, the 4th piano concerto, the Choral Fantasy, and extracts of the C Major Mass were all premiered!

Wonderful programme of spirituals and associated music by 40 year old American counter-tenor Reginald Mobley and Jazz pianist Baptiste Trotignon. Concert also included pieces by American composers Florence Price and Henry Thacker Burleigh.

Fado is a style of "folk" singing in Portugal, described as the musical soul of that country. It can be traced back to the 1820s, with likely earlier origins. It is a form of mournful singing, often about the sea or life of the poor, with emotions of resignation, loss, or grief. Sounds a barrel of laughs, and indeed it was deemed incompatible with the 1924-1975 Portuguese military revolution. Lately it has undergone a resurgence, with noted singers and international appeal. This prom concert was excellent, with Mariza (Marisa does Reis Nunes (b. 1973)) and traditional players, backed by the London Contemporary Orchestra giving a wonderful performance. Although I understand few of the words, I enjoyed the sheer force of emotion that these songs convey.