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Jean Sibelius was often awestruck by nature's wonders.

Nowhere more so than in the grandeur and hope of his mighty symphony, inspired by those swans, recorded in his diary:
'Today...I saw 16 swans. One of my greatest experiences! Lord God, what beauty! They circled over me for a long time [before] disappearing into the solar haze like a glittering silver ribbon.'

Errolyn Wallen wrote Mighty River to commemorate the abolition of the slave trade, referencing spirituals such as Deep River and Go Down Moses. 'It is an innate human instinct to be free just as it is for the river to rush headlong to the sea' she writes. The soloist in Mendelssohn's ever popular concerto, Clara-Jumi Kang, is an electrifying talent who melds virtuosity with searching, thoughtful musicianship.