Not a mass in any traditional religious sense, the work is instead a glorious choral celebration of positivity, of man’s will to embrace the rich possibilities of life and of our potential for strength, energy, pride and sincerity. Using a text drawn from Nietzsche’s Also sprach Zarathustra, it’s an exceptionally beautiful score and one of Delius’s crowning achievements, with music of huge joy and passion.

Sir Andrew Davis has a reputation second to none in his interpretations of British music, delivering performances full of vivid detail and visceral excitement. He’s joined by four exceptional soloists from Britain, Germany and America, and the massed forces of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus.