From Scotland to the New World

Join the full Orchestra and our Principal Conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali as we make our spectacular return to Canterbury with one unmissable musical voyage.

Celtic culture and the rugged landscapes of Scotland have long fascinated composers – and in few pieces is that more evident than in Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy. Out of a solemn brass opening emerges a spellbinding melody for the violin soloist, the first of four beautiful traditional folk songs that underpin the piece. Ranging from effortless virtuosity to tender interplay with the harp, it’s easy to see why almost 150 years after it was written, it remains one of the world’s most popular works for violin.

After the interval we venture across the Atlantic for that timeless masterpiece, Dvořák’s New World Symphony. Blending his trademark Czech style with the Native American music and African-American spirituals Dvořák came to love and admire during his time in the United States, the symphony packs drama, excitement and hope into one unforgettable work. No one could have imagined during lockdown that this concert would be our first at our Canterbury residency in almost two years – but with the quietly optimistic melody of the Largo in our ears, there could surely be no better way to return.