Gipps studied with Ralph Vaughan Williams, and her final symphony, written in 1972, was dedicated to fellow composer Arthur Bliss. This quintessentially English work comprises a fiery opening, a delicate Adagio, a playful Scherzo and a joyful Finale. 

The concert opens with Doreen Carwithen’s Bishop Rock (1952), a “unashamedly theatrical” overture by a composer known for her film scores. The piece pays tribute to Bishop Rock, one of the westernmost of the Isles of Scilly and, thanks to its famous lighthouse, the world’s smallest island with a building on it. 

KSO also performs James MacMillan’s The Confession of Isobel Gowdie (1990), a requiem for a woman burnt as a witch. Elegiac interludes are punctured by violent outbursts in the work, which incorporates Scottish folk tunes and Gregorian chant, and was rapturously received at its première at the BBC Proms in 1990. 

Described as “one of the very best amateur groups in the country” by Classical Music magazine, KSO has been hailed by Classical Source for “putting on bold, adventurous programmes that few of the ‘big five’ in London would either think of or get away with”.