French composer Lili Boulanger was the first female winner of the Prix de Rome composition prize, and younger sister of the noted composer and composition teacher Nadia Boulanger. Her two short symphonic poems D’un soir triste and D’un matin de printemps were both composed towards the end of her tragically short life, and ably demonstrate her individual compositional style.

Born a generation later, Grace Williams is widely considered one of Wales’ foremost female composers. Following a degree at Cardiff University, Williams then studied composition at the Royal College of Music under Gordon Jacob and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Composed in 1950, the self-critical composer seems to have repressed the work, which only came to light in 2006.

Ralph Vaughan Williams’ 6th symphony was composed immediately following the second world war, and then further revised in 1950. The Symphony is noteworthy for its unusually discordant harmonic language, and for its inclusion of a tenor saxophone among the woodwinds. In several respects this symphony marks the beginning of Vaughan Williams's experiments with orchestration that so characterise his late music.

Matt Scott Rogers conducts the Salomon Orchestra, with Fenella Humphreys as soloist in the concerto.