City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

It’s a symbol of solemnity and remembrance used everywhere from the Cenotaph to Hans Zimmer’s score for Dunkirk.  But it is only one of fourteen portraits of Elgar’s closest friends and confidants, memorialised in music of nobility, impish wit, warmth and occasionally, melancholy. 

Sheku Kanneh-Mason is a friend of Saffron Hall, but this is his first concerto appearance here in Saint-Saëns’ elegant, charming showpiece.  It’s also a debut for Franco-British conductor Stephanie Childress, making waves on both sides of the Atlantic as a dynamic and imaginative presence on the podium. She completes the programme with the delightful ‘symphony’ for strings, created by Britten by mining his childhood archives in search of melodies.