Inspired by a visit to Scotland in the summer of 1829, Mendelssohn’s famous seascape is a wonderfully salty portrait of windless calm and a storm-tossed Atlantic swell around the Hebridean island of Mull. Bruch’s concerto-like work makes free use of Scottish folk tunes, but be sure to expect an evocation of bagpipes too! This rousing programme culminates in Rachmaninov’s opulently lyrical Second Symphony – compelling, heart-easing and stirring, it is the epitome of the Romantic symphony.