Although he was renowned for his choral music (Naxos 8.555255) and his eleven symphonies, Rubbra composed a small number of concertante pieces and concertos notable for their eloquent musicality rather than mere virtuosity. At the heart of the very fine 1959 Violin Concerto, which unfolds characteristically in large, seamless spans, is the deeply reflective slow movement, a musical ‘poem’ of rapt meditation and yearning. In all the works on this disc, Rubbra’s orchestration is distinctive for its range of colour and timbre, its precise judgement of weight and texture, and passages of great beauty.