It’s not hard to see why the ACO is able to draw a full house for its latest concert on a cold Monday evening in Melbourne. Known for innovative programming, this performance promises an experience of “healing, renewal, invigoration and enlightenment” in a journey spanning medieval hymns to contemporary Australian works.

Directed by ACO Principal Cellist Timo-Veikko Valve, the concert opens with a cinematic-electronic soundscape to the ensemble performing Finnish-born composer Erkki Veltheim’s arrangement of Ave, Generosa (Hymn to the Virgin) by Hildegard of Bingen. Lighting changes illuminate Genevieve Lacey, whose recorder solo has such lightness and fluidity that the 12th-century hymn seems to unfold spontaneously, imbued with timeless contemplation.

Genevieve Lacey, Simon Martyn-Ellis and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Photo © Charlie Kinross

In a seamless transition, theorbo player Simon Martyn-Ellis takes centre stage for Max Richter’s poignant On the Nature of Daylight. His gentle chords, accompanied by lush harmonies and serene string melodies, sustain the cinematic atmosphere.

Finnish composer Jaako Kuusisto’s Wiima injects vitality into the program. Having showcased Kuusisto’s arresting cello concerto earlier this year, the ACO’s inclusion of another of his works is a welcome return. Frenzied strings and...