The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (RLPO) presented an all-British Prom at the Royal Albert Hall, showcasing over a century of British music. Principal guest conductor Andrew Manze led the concert, which included a world premiere from Carmel Smickersgill.
Smickersgill's new work, titled 'A Brick Thrown With Love', explores an act of protest from three different perspectives. The piece featured a playful clarinet theme in its opening movement, which was then distorted and taken over by the orchestra.
The concert also saw Simone Lamsma as a prominent soloist in Britten's Violin Concerto. Lamsma's performance was described as an act of total identification with the composer's angst-ridden work, supported by Manze's balancing of the orchestral forces.
Manze also conducted career-spanning works by Vaughan Williams, demonstrating his understanding of the composer. The programme included a rendition of the Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis and a cohesive reading of the Ninth Symphony.