By definition, the title “serenade” suggests music played in the evening, outdoors amid the beauty and abundance of nature. As depicted in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, it also conjures up images of a romantic ballade sung to a woman in the moonlight. All of this nocturnal magic is evident in Elgar’s music, as is youthful enthusiasm in Britten's “Simple Symphony”. The Fantasia della Sinfonia is by the amazingly industrious Robert Matthew-Walker, who not only combines the editorship of two magazines, prodigious reviewing of concerts, CDs, books and scores, but also has reached this Opus 160 in his composing output. Dedicated to Dr Sushanskaya, this substantial piece (subtitled Chamber Symphony no.2) is a one movement work as organic and integrated as Sibelius' Symphony no.7, and sits deservedly in the great tradition of English music for strings, right from its Purcellian opening.