Barry Wordsworth, Julian Bliss, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO)

Sibelius:
Finlandia, Op.26
Mozart:
Clarinet Concerto in A, K.622
Vaughan Williams:
Symphony No.5 in D

Barry Wordsworth is Music Director of the Royal Ballet and Conductor Emeritus of the BBC Concert Orchestra. Tonight he conducts Sibelius' patriotic tone poem reflecting Finland's struggle for independence, along with a symphony by Gloucestershire-born Vaughan Williams which, though composed amid the turbulence of World War II, is remarkably serene and tranquil. It is dedicated to the composer of Finlandia.

Completing the programme is Mozart's enchanting Clarinet Concerto, one of his last compositions, played by one of Britain's brightest new talents.

"The performance of the solist Julian Bliss in Mozart's Clarinet Concerto was soft-grained and smooth." - Evening Standard

Tonight's orchestra needs no introduction, and was a huge success in the last series.

"(It) is one of the finest orchestras not only in England but in all of Europe. It is a large orchestra... yet it can play with the delicacy and responsiveness of a chamber group. The dynamic range is wide, and the ensemble is like that of a string quartet." - Palm Beach Daily News