Saint-Saëns is the featured composer for the morning, with what's probably his most famous music heard alongside a rarely heard gem.

The literary title La Muse et la Poète was adopted after the event, but it's easy to agree with the publisher who heard the violin (our Muse) offering soothing responses to the pensive complaints of the cello (the Poet). This is virtuoso music but the style is rhapsodic and lyrical – a delightful flight of fancy. Then well-loved TV personality Richard Morecroft narrates Carnival of the Animals with words by Tasmanian conservationist Bradley Trevor Greive (The Blue Day Book). It's a fresh take on a timeless classic, matching quirky Australian animals to Saint-Saëns' original vignettes.

SAINT-SAENS The Muse and the Poet
SAINT-SAENS Carnival of the Animals

Toby Thatcher conductor
Kirsty Hilton violin
Catherine Hewgill cello
Laurence Matheson piano
Peter de Jager piano
Richard Morecroft narrator
Sydney Symphony Orchestra

W | https://www.sydneysymphony.com/concerts-and-tickets/whats-on/event/saint-saens-in-the-morning