Walton's Belshazzar's Feast

William Walton’s great classic of the British choral repertoire tells of the hedonism of a Babylonian King and his eventual overthrow. It has been thrilling audiences since its premiere in Leeds in 1931. Elgar’s Cockaigne overture has plenty of pomp and ceremony – but there’s a wicked sense of humour behind this gloriously colourful portrait of Edwardian London. John Storgårds cools things off with the fire and ice of Carl Nielsen’s bracing Violin Concerto, delivered with style by the superb Alina Pogostkina.