BBC Radio 3 Free Concert

A programme glowing with Nordic charm and Romantic colour.

The concert opens with Niels Gade’s Overture - Echoes of Ossian, Op. 1, the youthful masterpiece that first brought the Danish composer to international prominence.Inspired by the wildly popular Celtic epics attributed to the bard Ossian, Gade conjures a world of mist-laden landscapes, atmospheric tension and vivid orchestral drama.

It is music that blends imagination with brilliance, offering a stirring introduction to the soundworld of Scandinavian Romanticism.The programme continues with Wilhelm Stenhammar’s radiant Serenade in F major, Op. 31 (rev. 1919), one of the great achievements of Swedish orchestral music.

Stenhammar’s refined craftsmanship and lyrical voice shine throughout this generous, five-movement work, which moves gracefully from light, airy dances to moments of deeper expressive warmth.Its luminous textures and elegant phrasing give the Serenade a refreshing, restorative quality-music that invites listeners to breathe, reflect and enjoy its understated beauty.Dutch rising star, conductor Rolf Verbeek, makes his Ulster Hall debut.