A review of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra's Proms 2026 concert at the Royal Albert Hall praises conductor Kazuki Yamada for an inventive pairing of John Adams' Harmonium with two works by Francis Poulenc, calling the programme "stylish, witty and thrilling". The critic highlights the imaginative contrast between American minimalism's emotional intensity and Poulenc's playful, self-deprecating style, arguing it made for an unusually entertaining and effective evening of orchestral music.

Poulenc's 1948 "Sinfonietta" was delivered with crisp precision and understated wit, while Dutch piano duo the Jussen brothers made their Proms debut with an energetic, tightly synchronised account of Poulenc's Concerto for Two Pianos. Adams' Harmonium, performed with the CBSO Chorus strengthened by the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, was described as monumental and richly textured, though the central movement, "Because I could not stop for Death", was seen as comparatively less compelling. Despite that minor reservation, the review concludes the performance was an overall triumph.