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The program opened with Tapiola, Sibelius' symphonic poem and his last major work. Tapio is the Finnish god of the forests and Sibelius' score is prefaced with these lines:Wide-spread they stand, the Northland's dusky forests,Ancient, mysterious, brooding savage dreams,Within them dwells the Forest's mighty God,And wood-sprites in the gloom weave magic secrets.

We trudged through the snow to Kings Place, full of anticipation for an evening of beautiful music and festive cheer. The Barts Chamber Choir, conducted by Ivor Setterfield provided this, with a wonderful program from traditional audience carols to lesser known pieces by Berlioz, Howells and Vaughan Williams.

The intimate setting of the Wigmore Hall provided the ideal platform for mezzo-soprano Christianne Stotijn’s sensitive performance of songs by Faure, Chausson and Schumann. Her voice flowed apparently effortlessly through this varied repertoire, connecting powerfully with the audience.