Thu 16 Apr 2026, Great Hall, Exeter

Coalescence explores the concept of mankind’s attempt to outsmart nature. An evocative sound-world showcases Howard’s distinctive style, featuring real church bells which signify the warning signs given to us by nature, as the work explores humans ignoring these warnings. Even by Mozart’s standards, his Sinfonia Concertante revels in a wealth of melody and invention. It may be that he was displaying his musical skill in the hope of a court position, and the piece is a model of contrast and balance. It was a revolutionary work for him, a dramatic gesture of self-assertion, individuality and depth of expression. Dvořák broke new ground with his Eighth Symphony. Freed from the confines of the sonata form it is a seemingly spontaneous flow of thematic ideas. It has often been described as a “sunny” work, but in truth it is much more than that. With passages of drama, exhilaration, happiness and nostalgia it is unusually animated and tuneful, though it incorporates a streak of melancholy that occasionally erupts into fury, evoking a wide range of human emotions and is yet profoundly optimistic. Click Play and Discover the Music