Delius was greatly attracted by the theme of James Elroy Flecker 's Hassan, and as a result he undertook to write incidental music fur the play. In 1923 the play was beautifully staged by Basil Dean at His Majesty's Theatre and had a run of 281 performances.
The Serenade is one of the many striking numbers from Delius's exquisite music which has been made into a concert suite by his friend and amanuensis, Eric Fenby.
Kodak's short orchestral work
' Summer Evening ' dates from 1906, when he was twenty-four years old. He was not altogether satisfied with the work, and after its first performance he laid it aside. Later, however, he was encouraged to remould it, and the score bears a Latin dedication ' to Arturo Toscanini , who time after time urged me onward '.