Did you know Sibelius' glorious Symphony No.2 was nicknamed the 'Symphony of Independence'? Sibelius started on the symphony shortly after the successful premiere of the ever-popular Finlandia (1899), which eventually became one of the most important national songs of Finland. Premiered in 1902, the symphony's connection to Finnish nationalism was particularly poignant given that it emerged during a period when Russian authorities were imposing restrictions on the Finnish language and culture. H

"My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean, And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine" Thursday is Earth Day - a chance for us to consider how to support and protect our environment, and with that in mind we'd like to share with you this arrangement by Blake of Jean Sibelius's 'Finlandia' melody set to the words 'This Is My Song'; text which encourages us to find unity through our appreciation of nature and its beauty. To mark Earth Day itself, I Fagiolini will be presenting their programme 'R