John Wilson                            conductor
Sheku Kanneh-Mason           cello

Kenneth Hesketh                    Pattersongs
Shostakovich                          Cello Concerto No. 2
Rachmaninov                         Symphony No. 1

It’s been a while since Nottingham’s musical hero, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, last performed in the Royal Concert Hall Nottingham. During that time he’s been wowing audiences in venues across the world, winning numerous awards, performing at the Last Night of the Proms and earning an MBE for his services to British music. For this eagerly-anticipated return to his home city, he joins John Wilson’s all-star Sinfonia of London. Comprising section leaders of many of the UK’s and Europe’s greatest orchestras, it’s rapidly become the hottest ticket in town. Renowned for its expressive flair and knife-edge attack, it’s amassed so many coveted awards with its peerless recordings (including an unprecedented hattrick at the 2024 BBC Music Magazine awards) that its trophy cabinet must be straining under the weight.

Kenneth Hesketh’s witty homage to the tongue-twisting pattersongs of comic opera provides a dynamic opening before Shostakovich’s late period Second Cello Concerto marks a shift in mood into an intense and haunting soundworld with echoes of Mahler. Sheku’s commitment and close connection with the music of Shostakovich promises an unforgettable performance. Rachmaninov’s First Symphony almost sank without trace after a disastrous premiere at the hands of the allegedly drunk conductor, Glazunov. Nowadays it’s widely praised as Rachmaninov’s most dramatic Symphony. Echoing the fateful atmosphere of Tchaikovsky’s late symphonies, it’s a potent mix of smouldering energy, taut rhythms and, of course, the composer’s gift for great tunes.

Free pre-concert talk, 6pm in the auditorium: Sheku Kanneh-Mason in conversation.