Sinfonia Viva presents 'The Lark Ascending'

Saturday 6 June 2026
7.00pm (doors 6.15pm)

Is there an English sound we can all agree on? Of course not. But at least we can celebrate the music of English composers and how they have depicted the country over time. Ralph Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending is enduringly popular as a portrait of rural England. But it was written amongst military manoeuvres preparing for World War I and so must be heard as much as a heartbreaking piece about loss as it is some depiction of bucolic Albion. Our leader, Sophie Rosa, is our violin soloist. If you’ve heard Sophie before you know what a treat you’re in for, and if you haven’t then you really wouldn’t want to miss this performance

We also have music by two composers who bookend the idea of English classical music. Henry Purcell wrote wild, emotive music for both the palaces and backstreets of early 17th century London. Edward Elgar is the composer we associate with pomp and circumstance and the rigour of Empire. But actually no – listen to Elgar’s Serenade for Strings and you can hear the same raw emotion of Purcell. Maybe the English aren’t so straight laced after all!

Purcell | Chacony
Elgar | Serenade for Strings    
Vaughan Williams | The Lark Ascending  
Tom Coult | La Folia (after Vivaldi)
Bridge | Valse Intermezzo à cordes  
Vaughan Williams | Five Mystical Songs

Conductor | Karen Ní Bhroin
Violin | Sophie Rosa
Baritone | Jolyon Loy
Derby Cathedral Choir 

Tickets £35 (seats at the front of the Central Nave)/ £30/ £20/ £5 concessions*

Ticket and Venue Information:

Tickets
Please note that for this performance we are only the hosting venue and we don’t have any association with the tickets for the event. For any ticket enquiries please contact the event company you purchased the tickets through.

Facilities
There is a licensed bar onsite for the performance, cash and card payments welcome. Please note that your own drinks cannot be brought into the venue. The Cathedral management reserves the right to carry out bag searches at its discretion.

Car parking
The nearest car park to the venue is on St Michaels Lane, DE1 3DQ, and is just £2 to park after 6pm.

Balcony seating
The balcony is not suitable for those with access requirements and limited mobility. Patrons on the front row of the balcony must be 16 years of age and upwards. No under 16s will be permitted to sit on the front row of the balcony. Dancing is prohibited on the balcony. If you’d like to dance, we would encourage you to book a ticket in the nave on the ground floor.

Access seating
The Cathedral has provision for a limited number of wheelchairs in the venue, please speak to the box office selling the tickets before booking seats if you require space for a wheelchair or mobility scooter.