BBC SSO: Symphonic Pride succeeds because it didn’t reduce queer orchestral history to a single narrative (review)

‘Symphonic Pride: We Have Always Been Here’ – 22nd July

The week after Glasgow Pride, the rainbows and glitter still cover the streets of the Merchant City, but pride celebrations are not over yet. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra presents ‘Symphonic Pride: We Have Always Been Here’, an uplifting, inspiring celebration of the LGBTQ+ artists who have shaped orchestral music for centuries. 

Under the assured direction of conductor Jessica Cottis, the evening embraced joy, resilience and exuberance in equal measure, creating a programme that felt both emotionally poignant and musically adventurous.

Opening with Leonard Bernstein’s sparkling On the Town, the orchestra immediately established an atmosphere of optimism and theatrical flair before moving into the UK premiere of Elena Kats-Chernin’s Rainbow Promise, which marked the legalisation of gay marriage in the UK in 2013. Rich with luminous orchestral colours, the work unfolded with warmth and generosity, its broad melodic arcs and radiant harmonies embodying the sense of celebration that inspired its composition. The BBC SSO captured its spirit, allowing the music to bloom beautifully.

The emotional depth of the first half only crescendoed during the second. Jennifer Higdon’s Blue Cathedral was one of the evening’s most affecting performances. The orchestra treated the score with extraordinary sensitivity, revealing its delicate interplay of shimmering textures and soaring lyricism. Cottis shaped the work with remarkable patience, allowing its moments of stillness to resonate just as powerfully as its climactic passages.

If Blue Cathedral offered quiet reflection, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake delivered the evening’s emotional heart. The BBC SSO’s rendition was breathtaking, balancing the ballet’s familiar melodies with an intensity that made them feel newly discovered. Rather than simply indulging in romantic grandeur, the orchestra illuminated the vulnerability beneath the score. The famous themes emerged with aching lyricism, while the darker undercurrents of longing, identity and impossible love gave the performance a particular resonance within the context of a Pride programme. It was an interpretation that reminded the audience why Swan Lake continues to speak so profoundly across generations.

The concert concluded with perhaps its boldest programming choice: a full symphonic arrangement of Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club. What could have felt like a novelty instead became a triumphant affirmation that orchestral music continues to evolve alongside contemporary queer culture. The arrangement retained the infectious energy of the original while allowing the orchestra to revel in brilliant brass writing, lush strings and dazzling percussion. It was gloriously unapologetic, eliciting smiles throughout the hall and ending the evening on a note of collective celebration.

Symphonic Pride succeeded because it didn’t reduce queer orchestral history to a single narrative. Instead, it demonstrated that LGBTQ+ expression has long encompassed elegance, grief, humour, spectacle and hope. From the luminous optimism of Rainbow Promise, the timeless emotional power of Swan Lake and the euphoric release of Pink Pony Club, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra delivered performances full of fun, imagination and exceptional artistry. More than a concert, We Have Always Been Here was a powerful statement that orchestral music has always been enriched by queer voices, and that its future will be too. I hope this marks the beginning of a new era for the orchestra and that everyone can enjoy the wonders of classical music.  

Symphonic Pride is available to watch on BBC Sounds until 27th August