A majestic fanfare opens our new season, as the trumpets of Shostakovich’s 1954 Festive Overture herald five-minutes of joyful high spirits.  Its dutiful optimism, composed in just three days in celebration of the 37th anniversary of the Bolshevik revolution, would no doubt have felt forced to him, having been harried by the Soviet regime for several years. But it’s hard to resist the overture’s blistering momentum and the soaring nobility of its big tune. The mood of Elgar’s Cello Concerto could hardly be more different; his last major work is a poignant farewell to a world blown apart by the Great War. New Hallé Cello Leader, Rachel Helleur-Simcock is our soloist in this emotive dialogue between soloist and orchestra.

Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony was a major personal achievement given the critical mauling his First had received, but he was in a positive mood when he wrote his second, with a settled home life and space to think whilst on a retreat in Dresden. The most expansive of his symphonic works, it has drama and passion to match its epic span. At its heart is one of the most rapt slow movements ever heard, sharply contrasted by a wildly inventive scherzo and the exhilarating energy of the finale.

Free pre-concert talk, 6.20pm in the auditorium: David Butcher, Chief Executive of the Hallé, in conversation.

The Hallé Concerts Society is very grateful to Rachel Helleur-Simcock for replacing Truls Mørk who has had to withdraw due to unforeseen circumstances.