Thu 16 & Sun 19 Apr 2026
The Bridgewater Hall
A Sea Symphony
Tarmo Peltokoski is joined by a duo of star-studded soloists and two generations of Hallé singers for Vaughan Williams’ immense Sea Symphony.
Through its use of the chorus and vocal soloists as an integral part of its texture, Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony was a groundbreaking work in the symphonic and choral repertoire. Crafted around the poetic words of Walt Whitman, the work vividly and poignantly illustrates the journey of the human soul, through the metaphor of intrepid sailors weighing the anchor and exploring the ocean wide.
In the first half of the concert, we hear Chen Reiss’ performance of Mahler’s gloriously romantic Rückert-Lieder. Mahler was driven by melody – often incorporating many of his favourites within the symphonies for which he is known – and this quintet of songs contains some of his best.
Get to know the music
Featuring
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Tarmo Peltokoski
Conductor
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Chen Reiss
Soprano
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Hallé Choir
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Hallé Youth Choir
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Tarmo Peltokoski
Conductor
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Chen Reiss
Soprano
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Hallé Choir
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Hallé Youth Choir
Ian McMillan
Poet, Journalist, Playwright, and Presenter“My dad was a sailor for many years and maybe that's why I love The Sea Symphony so much; it's a piece that has as many moods as the ocean and the way it seems to stretch to the horizon feels almost transcendent. And the stage of The Bridgewater Hall could be the deck of a wooden ship; or maybe the engine room, where the work gets done!”