ESO Gala Concert

Written between the two Wars, Ireland’s These Things Shall be is a powerful expression of humanistic and enlightenment values, a faith in the agency of individuals and a pacifist worldview.

Ian Venables’ song cycle explores themes of love and sexuality through the poetry of the 19th and early 20th centuries. “Although the cycle’s underlying narrative portrays the love of man for man, I wanted to end the work with a celebration of the universality of love and especially the deep love that is found in a long-lasting relationship. This is a love that transcends sexual categories and is at the heart of a humane world where gay people no longer need to hide in ‘the shadows.’

Elgar’s Second Symphony is one of his most powerful and personal works, a musical portrait of a man and a civilisation standing at a turning point in history.