Composed in 2021 and dedicated to the soloist Nicola Benedetti, this work was written as a memorial tribute to the Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki, who died the previous year and was a major musical influence on the composer, particularly during his formative creative years. MacMillan writes, “One of the co-commissioners for Violin Concerto no 2 was Polish and I was keen that there be some acknowledgment of the late Penderecki in some way in the new work. I was happy to oblige with a dedi...