Upcoming events
Churchill’s Baltic Vision
Feb 17, 2026
Churchill’s Baltic vision, talk by Prof. Patrick Salmon OBE
Allen Room (First Floor), St Anne’s Church, 55 Dean Street, Soho, London W1D 6AF at 3 p.m. on 17 February 2026
Winston Churchill never visited the Baltic, but it held an important place in his strategic imagination. In both world wars he dreamed of inflicting a dramatic defeat on Germany via Scandinavia and the Baltic. After the Russian Revolution he hoped to defeat Bolshevism in partnership with Finnish General Mannerheim. Could any of these ambitions have been achieved? In this talk Patrick Salmon explores the strengths and limitations of Churchill’s Baltic vision.
Patrick Salmon is Chief Historian at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. He has published extensively on Scandinavian and Baltic history, including Scandinavia and the Great Powers 1890-1940 (1997) and Deadlock and Diversion: Scandinavia in British Strategy during the Twilight War 1939-1940 (2012). Patrick has been a member of the A-FS Council since 2017.
£5 for members of Anglo-Nordic and Anglo-Baltic Societies. £10 for non-members.
To book places please follow this link:
Buy tickets – Churchill’s Baltic vision – St Anne’s Church Soho
Forging Kalevala in Music: Inside a Composer’s Creative Process
Mar 9, 2026
“Forging Kalevala in Music: Inside a Composer’s Creative Process”
Monday, 9 March 2026 at 18:00 for 18:30 (drinks and snacks from 18:00, talk begins at 18:30 – Duration: Until approximately 19:30/19:45)
Venue: Church of St Magnus the Martyr, London Bridge, Lower Thames Street, EC3R 6DN (nearest Tube: Monument, London Bridge, Bank)
Description: This event offers a rare chance to witness how music is created in real time. Composer David Pearson will share how he is approaching Finland’s national epic, Kalevala, as the foundation of a four‑opera cycle — a project echoing the scale and ambition of Wagner’s Ring. He will discuss the challenges and discoveries involved in:
– shaping a libretto from a vast and symbolically rich poetic source
– navigating the complexities of Kalevala Finnish
– interpreting the mythic and archetypal layers of the text
– structuring a monumental narrative into four coherent operas.
The talk will include musical illustrations and a live view of the composer’s working drafts, textual analysis and score materials.
Light nibbles will be provided, and wine will be available for a small donation.
The setting is the historic Grade I listed Church of St Magnus the Martyr, one of Wren’s finest post-fire churches. Its Nordic connections run deep – St Magnus was Earl of Orkney when the islands formed part of the Kingdom of Norway.
Arrive promptly at 18:00 to enjoy the church’s magnificent, world-famous model of medieval London Bridge (visit https://www.stmagnusmartyr.org.uk/ for more information).
Cost: Free – but please only book if you intend to come, so we can plan catering appropriately.
David’s background is in economics, corporate finance, culture change and leadership, but he has also studied music, and together with his interest in Finnish cultural history, this has inspired him to take on the task of setting Kalevala in music. He also manages to find the time to act as the A-FS Treasurer.”
To book your free place, please go to: Select tickets – Forging Kalevala in Music: Inside a Composer’s Creative Process – Church of St Magnus the Martyr
Annual General Meeting
Apr 14, 2026
Our AGM is planned for 14 April 2026.
Further details will follow nearer the time to members.
Vappu-Valborg Lunch
May 1, 2026
Our Vappu-Valborg lunch is planned again for 1 May 2026 with a tour of the art at Gray’s Inn also being organised. More details to follow later.