As with all our Philharmonic concerts, the individual programme items form a series of variations on the overall title in subtly different ways. And with rising stars in mind, where better to start than with the sun, our own neighbourhood star?

Nielsen’s 1903 Helios Overture is an orchestral sound poem about a day in the life of the Greek sun-god on his journey from east to west. The opening bass echoes Richard Strauss’s 1896 Zarathrustra with a picture of predawn, expectant darkness yielding to subtle brass flourishes as the shadows disperse; the orchestra crescendos with woodwinds and string tremolo to a triumphant climax, (what Kate Kayaian called a “glorious afternoon”) before quietly depicting through dimuendo the onset of evening and the descent into darkness.

We welcomed another rising neighbourhood star altogether, 11-year-old violinist Ruth “Bella” Correia, member of the Menuhin Foundation Youth Orchestra, winner of the 2024 Student Concerto Competition and recipient of Philharmonic scholarships every year since 2021.

She played Jean- Baptiste Accolay’s 1868 Concerto No. 1 for violin and orchestra. Her mastery of the instrument was complete, her execution flawless.

A Mozartian triple time introduction moved into a romantic, yearning series of melodies which in turn morphed through rapid tempo changes into an utterly joyful, spontaneous polka-like finale.

As we all rose to applaud this wonderful performance, I was reminded Bermuda’s own musical benefactor Yehudi Menuhin performed this same concerto 101 years ago. It was his first public appearance.

There have been many theories as to why Mozart’s last symphony was called Jupiter, after the king of the Roman gods. Kate Kayaian’s thought was that the first movement’s opening chords had reminded impresario Johann Salomon of Jupiter throwing thunderbolts.

And the opening massive orchestral hits bear this out. But interspersed with the fireworks are gently lyrical, almost wistful themes which in turn yield to a series of fanfares. The orchestra performed Mozart is at his most mercurial here, rapidly changing moods through fanfare, fuguelike melodies chasing each other across all instruments, and ending with irrepressible and brilliant exuberance.

Holst’s The Planets Suite dates from the first years of World War One and opens, appropriately, with Mars, The Bringer of War. Mars manages to convey an intensely visual series of images. Much of the madness of August 1914 has found its way into the urgent summoning brass over the insistent tramp of marching strings and percussion. Some of the lethal futility is reflected in the duelling, dying bugles.

With the Bermuda Festival a thing of the past, at least for the present, we are even more appreciative of our Philharmonic, which under Kate’s direction is growing every year in membership, quality and number of performances.

We should also be grateful for its support of our young musicians. Prince Domingo, Dylan Jeffrey, Edwin Wyer, as well as of course Bella Correira, were all confident members of the orchestra. Bermuda’s rising stars are in safe hands with the Philharmonic.