Magical French music for a midsummer’s evening. Saint-Saëns’ irrepressible Danse macabre depicts Death himself playing his violin for the dance of the skeletons, setting a spirited tone for Ravel’s colourful Piano Concerto in G. Infused with 1920s jazz syncopations, Ravel’s masterpiece is by turns witty and tender, and always lyrical.

These lively pieces are juxtaposed with Elysian reverie in Fauré‘s pastoral miniature, Pavane, and his ethereal Requiem. First performed shortly after the death of the composer’s mother, the Fauré Requiem is justly one of the most consoling and cherished pieces in choral repertoire.

(*in association with The Keyboard Charitable Trust)