Choirs by Candlelight: Poulenc, Un soir de neige

Poulenc's setting of Paul Eluard's Un soir de neige, written over Christmas of 1944, forms the centrepiece for this programme of festive choral music. Featured alongside other reflections on festive texts, this short recital will provide a moment of calm - the perfect start to the Christmas weekend.

The programme will be sung by a project choir of young professionals from London's choral scene, conducted by Ben Westerman.

Ben Westerman is currently studying for a Masters degree in Conducting at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam under Ed Spanjaard and Lucas Vis. He previously studied at Bristol University, where he attained a First Class Degree in Music, and King's College London, graduating with a distinction in Musicology. Recent engagements have included working with the Residentie Ensembles in The Hague, and assisting Lucas Vis and the Amsterdam Score Collective in works by Stravinsky, Messiaen and Varese. Ben is also the conductor of the Capella Nicolai in Amsterdam's Nicolaasbasiliek. Future plans include a Masterclass with the Berlin Sinfonietta and performances of Brahms' Requiem in Amsterdam.