Built around the theme of solace, the program opens with Britten’s Russian Funeral Music from 1936. A timely inclusion, it was originally titled War and Death, an impression for brass orchestra and reveals the pacifist composer’s concerns about European politics. His Lachrymae follows, performed by Principal Viola Justin Julian. The program’s centrepiece is Haydn’s Symphony No. 26, Lamentation, which incorporates a plainsong chant from the Passion narratives sung in Holy Week. Anthony Hunt conducts.

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Despite its title, Haydn’s Lamentation sounds anything but sombre. Its propulsive rhythms will leave you feeling high in energy and spirits. Double reeds whirl through Ravel’s spellbinding introduction to Le Tombeau de Couperin, which he wrote to honour lost loved ones. Pavane pour une infante défunte is equally soul-stirring, balancing serenity with heart-rending dissonance. Brass and percussion join forces to march through Britten’s weighty Russian Funeral Music; lighter in texture is his unusual Lachrymae, which reveals the deep expressivity of our virtuoso violist.