The Hallé’s lunchtime Chamber Series at Hallé St Peter’s provides a unique opportunity to hear players and guest artists perform in more intimate surroundings.

Mozart’s two great wind octets are both serenades, yet they couldn’t be more different in style. The E flat serenade, written in 1781, is typically Mozartian with high spirits, wit and exuberance – a nod to the original idea of the serenade being outdoor entertainment on warm summer evenings. The C minor serenade, written less than a year later, is much more symphonic with a serious, almost tragic, first movement, a lilting Andante, a Minuet in strict canon, and a final set of variations that allows each instrument of the octet to shine.