The festival begins with a feast of song in the heart of Westminster, where songs by four of the festival’s featured composers are performed in one programme. There will be music by Sibelius, father and son Oskar and Aarre Merikanto, and Beethoven, whom Sibelius admired so much. Traditional Finnish songs, and music by Grieg, another Scandinavian composer celebrating an anniversary year, complete the programme. Both Mari Palo and Jussi Myllys studied at the prestigious Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, and both have given recitals and operatic performances throughout Europe.