A concert celebrating Britain's relationship with the sea, directed by David Brophy, with works by Sullivan, Walton, Bax and Britten.
David Brophy takes the podium at BBC Hoddinott Hall on Friday 5 March, leading the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in a concert that keeps the sea at its centre. It's a Friday Night is Music Night broadcast for BBC Radio 3, and the whole evening is built around Britain's long relationship with the water, moving from light-hearted charm to something more atmospheric.
The first half leans into the lighter side of things, with Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore and Walton's Portsmouth Point setting the scene, alongside John Ireland's Sea Fever. Baritone Gareth Brynmor John takes the lead on the more narrative pieces, The Seal Man by Rebecca Clarke and Bax's tone poem Tintagel. After the interval, the programme shifts towards the cinematic with Korngold's The Sea Hawk, followed by miniatures by Whitlock and Hedges, before closing with Britten's Four Sea Interludes.
It's a broad sweep of British music, and the range is part of the draw: you've got the familiar, theatrical air of Sullivan, the atmospheric weight of Bax, and the cinematic scale of Korngold all in one night. The concert is part of the BBC NOW 2026-27 season, so it's one of the bigger dates in the hall's calendar this year.
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On the practical side, it starts at 19:30 and runs for about an hour and twenty-five minutes, including an interval. There's an age guidance in place: no under 2s, and anyone under 16 needs to be seated with an adult aged 18 or over. For those who need them, there are four wheelchair and companion seats in Row O.
