Beethoven's 'Pastoral' Symphony

Escape to the countryside and experience the wonder of nature through music with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Opening with Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite, evoking the magical adventures of a Nordic folk hero with sparkling flights of fantasy, before soaring heavenwards in Vaughan Williams' beloved The Lark Ascending, painted with nostalgic English folksong.

The first half closes with Strauss, waltzing through the joyous Voices of Spring, which perfectly captures the spirit of the season and its renewed energy and possibility. After the interval, let Delius take you to the English countryside with On Hearing the First Cuckoo In Spring. You'll almost smell the fresh-cut grass while that first cuckoo call signals brighter days ahead.

Our journey ends with Beethoven’s jubilant ‘Pastoral' Symphony, contrasting dramatic storms with profound joy in the beauty, harmony and rebirth spring brings to the natural world. You’ll leave feeling renewed and uplifted.