British audiences have not heard much from conductor Steven Sloane since his puzzling departure from Opera North in 2003, but here he was back leading the London Philharmonic through a sprawling programme including two premieres. The first was Akeda by the Israeli composer Noam Sheriff, a memorial to Yitzhak Rabin only now brought to the UK. It is dark-tinged and heartfelt: the climax found an impassioned Sloane breaking his baton mid-swipe. Some passages resemble Schoenberg, others whiff of Hollywood, but the piece makes a serious, thoughtful impact.

The first two of the four movements in John McCabe's Symphony on a Pavane are full of a jubilant, rhythmic buzz, but deep down it's melody rather than rhythm that drives his music. The second movement perhaps takes this too far, with an itchy tune being relentlessly passed around. The slow movement, the melodies piling up into intertwining layers, is more intriguing.

The rest of the programme focused on choral music. Handel's Dixit Dominus wasn't the best idea; the London Philharmonic Choir sounded stretched; Bernstein's Chichester Psalms were much more successful.