Lyra Angelica is a concerto for harp and string orchestra from 1954 by the British composer William Alwyn (1905 - 1985). It is probably his best known composition, certainly after the American figure skater Michelle Kwan performed to it at the 1998 Winter Olympics. Alwyn stated his aim in writing this work as trying to sustain in the listener a "rapt mood ... by interweaving the solo harp and strings into a continuous web of luminous sound." At this aim the concerto is very successful. It is a full-length work of symphonic proportions, eminently listenable and inspiring. The work is in four movements and the average playing time is 24 minutes (AllMusic). To my taste it is the best harp concerto ever composed. My version is by Rachel Masters and the City of London Sinfonia under Richard Hickox on a Chandos CD).
