On the day Britain entered World War I, Ralph Vaughan Williams turned to the poem The Lark Ascending by George Meredith. Williams transformed the skylark’s other-worldly song into a symbol of resilience during a time of international struggle. The story goes that he was walking on a cliff in Margate, Kent, with views of a fleet of ships when inspiration struck him. His flow was interrupted, however, when a young scout made a citizen’s arrest, mistaking the composer’s notebook scribbles for observations of the coastline for the enemy.

Even if you don’t know this beloved classical piece by its name, you will instantly recognise the soaring violin solo, which mimics movements of the skylark. It’s so embedded in our consciousness that it was once voted the nation’s favourite Desert Island Discs track.

In collaboration with the Philharmonia, Festival Director Nicola Benedetti is the solo violinist in this relaxed, family-friendly performance of Williams’s masterpiece alongside beloved classics.