Written by British composer Peter Warlock (1894-1930; real name Philip Heseltine) in 1923, the sumptuous Serenade for Strings is dedicated “to Frederick Delius on his sixtieth birthday,” Delius being Warlock’s boyhood hero. Full of lush chromaticism, the work melds together Delius’ ethereal style with Warlock’s more angular sound. Delius, blind from syphilis, dictated his gratitude for the work: “My dear Phil, Forgive me for not answering your kind letter of congratulations and acknowledging your charming serenade, which I received early in the morning on my birthday to my greatest surprise and pleasure. I like it very much indeed; it is a very delicate composition of a fine harmonist…Percy Grainger and Alexander Lippay played me the Serenade several times from the score and they all liked it.” A string count of 8-8-5-5-5 is included in the set.