16th August, 7:30pm, Usher Hall, Edinburgh

In one of Sir Simon Rattle’s farewell performances as Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, two very different choral works about mourning, one by Karol Szymanowski and the other by Johannes Brahms, will take centre stage.

First, the Stabat Mater by Karol Szymanowski spotlights the Polish composer’s fantastical musical imagination, influenced by the cultures of the Mediterranean, north Africa and ancient Greece. His Stabat Mater is exotic and sensual, while also reflecting his own profound faith.

Alongside the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, Polish singers Iwona Sobotka (soprano) and Hanna Hipp (alto) will feature alongside Florian Boesch (baritone) to carry the challenging solos (sung in Polish).

Following, will be Johannes Brahms’s uplifting Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem) is just as unconventional.

Instead of setting the traditional Latin Requiem, Brahms chose Lutheran German texts that offer a consoling outlook on mourning.

This was one of his breakthrough works, inspired by the deaths of his mother and, earlier, his mentor, Robert Schumann.

In this music, sorrow meets serenity and offers us a promise of healing.

Works Sung in Polish and German with English supertitles

The concert is supported by the Polish Cultural Institute in London

To book tickets: London Symphony Orchestra: Szymanowski & Brahms | Edinburgh International Festival (eif.co.uk)