Poulenc and Vaughan Williams | Cambridge University Orchestra

Artistic Director and chief conductor of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra Jessica Cottis takes to the podium for an evening of mid-20th-century classics.

Francis Poulenc’s Sinfonietta is a lightfooted and glamourous display of the composer’s characteristic French sound across four short and colourful movements. Moving across the channel, the concert closes with Ralph Vaughan Williams’ 5th Symphony. Premiered at the Proms in 1943, the regal profundity of its more conservative musical language was met with an enthusiastic reception after the shock of the composer’s dissonance 4th Symphony, resonating with audiences from 1943 to today.

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