Northern Lights

Journey north with a programme inspired by the landscapes, folklore and elemental power of Scandinavia.

Edvard Grieg’s much-loved music from Peer Gynt opens the concert, transporting audiences from the serenity of Morning Mood to the thrilling drama of In the Hall of the Mountain King.  These enduring favourites capture the imagination and atmosphere of Norway’s mountains, forests and legends.

The voyage continues with Bränningar (“Breaking Waves”) by the Swedish composer Helena Munktell.  A vivid and evocative orchestral work, it paints a striking picture of the sea in motion, showcasing a composer whose music is only now beginning to receive the wider recognition it deserves.

The concert culminates in Sibelius’s majestic Fifth Symphony, one of the crowning achievements of the symphonic repertoire.  Inspired by the Finnish landscape and the sight of sixteen swans in flight, the symphony unfolds from mysterious beginnings to one of the most uplifting and unforgettable finales ever written.