Opening concert of the 2023 season. Slightly odd programme with performances of two works by Sibelius, both incorporating words sung by the reprieved BBC Singers, who were granted a stay of cost slashing execution by BBC management earlier this year. The lesser known Snöfrid, Op. 29, is a melodrama or "improvisation for narrator, mixed choir and orchestra", completed in 1900 on a text by Viktor Rydberg. The evening also included a new work by modern Ukrainian composer Bohdana Frolyak (b.1968), "Let There Be Light". This was politically a nice touch, but a not terribly memorable premiere, being rather slow and mournful, reflecting maybe the struggles of the Ukrainian people. Paul Lewis played the Grieg Piano Concerto, and the concert ended with a spirited performance of the Britten variations, the concert marred by a second half protest by some "Just Stop Oil" nutters. Listened via Radio 3.

Andrea Tarrodi: Birds of Paradise; Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 in C major; Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, interspersed with folk music improvisations. Deutsche Kammerphilharmionie Bremen conducted and led by Pekka Kuusisto (violin), Ale Carr (cittern).

Swedish Composer Andrea Tarrodi (b. 1981) composed her 8 minute string piece "Birds of Paradise" in 2008 inspired by a BBC David Attenborough documentary. It is fun, and I enjoyed it. Pekka Kuusisto led the orchestra in the Vivaldi Four Seasons, but played a series of folk tunes with cittern specialist Ale Carr between the movements. It didn't actually do a lot for me - the connections weren't obvious (other than they all related to bucolic countryside customs and images). Beethoven's 1st Symphony was as ever good fun, although getting the Proms audience to hum along with the start of the final movement was weird. He finished the concert with a community sing song of a Finnish folk tune "Piupali Paupali" (arranged by his long term collaborator Nico Muhly).