Sibelius would have been delighted that last night's concert of his music took place not on, but the day before, the 90th anniversary of Finnish independence, thus keeping the anniversary itself free for a cigar and several glasses of Burgundy.

The performance closed the "Sibelius and beyond" season, marking 50 years since the composer's death, and while the Tampere Philharmonic may not be a Premier League orchestra, it's a fine band, with the added advantage that, being Finnish, it has Sibelius coursing through its veins.

Under chief conductor John Storgårds, the orchestra's sound was big for the fairly intimate space of Cadogan Hall, but tiny details registered with chamber-like precision, the low strings seeming to reach us from underground.

The acoustic suited Jennifer Pike's assured reading of Sibelius's Violin Concerto, delivered with a tone that was dark, husky, almost woody: just right for Sibelius. Occasional slips mattered not at all; it's a rare pleasure to see an 18-year-old so thoroughly inside the music.

Sibelius's Fourth Symphony is a coiled spring that refuses to unwind. Storgårds gave the opening phrases the weight of a mighty wave crashing over us, allowing the work's grim majesty to build inexorably.

As an encore, he offered a raucous version of Finlandia (the nation's equivalent of England's Jerusalem), which brought cheers and a standing ovation.

Oh to be in Finland, now that winter's there.