Shadows and Light: Mendelssohn & Beethoven

Join conductor Jack Gonzalez-Harding for an evening of gripping musical narrative, charting the journey from the stormy Romantic coastlines of Scotland to the sunlit, muscular energy of the classical symphony.

The concert opens with Felix Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture, also known as Fingal’s Cave. Written after a trip to the Scottish island of Staffa, this masterclass in atmospheric tone-painting evokes the swell of the Atlantic Ocean, the cry of sea birds, and the vast echoes of the basalt cavern. Next, Gonzalez-Harding is joined by the young rising violinist Alexandra Peal for Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor. Breaking traditional moulds, the work launches immediately with a soaring, melancholic violin melody that rarely leaves the instrument throughout its three interconnected movements. It remains one of the most beloved and technically dazzling concertos in the classical repertoire.

Following the interval, the program shifts to Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major. Often overshadowed by its revolutionary neighbours — the Third and Fifth symphonies — the Fourth is a testament to Beethoven’s brilliant wit and rhythmic vitality. It moves from a mysterious, brooding introduction into an exhilarating display of orchestral power, humour and joy.