Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, December 8, 1945

The birthday of a very great man - Sibelius –

I played his Sixth Symphony in the studio in the morning. The sadness of the fourth movement is almost unendurable.

P.M. to country north of Bennington sketching – a painting of a small story and a half farm house perched on a ridge, with some gaunt locusts around it. It was a pleasant afternoon, the sun shining brilliantly - Two boys on [bicycles.] The farmer and his sled going for hay -

Eat lunch on a hill just above Bennington which sprawls east & west on the Attica - Cowlesville [Road]. A beautiful tranquil evening the sun setting a ball of glowing red, in thick winter mists on the horizon, the new crescent moon high above Bennington almost over the spine of a church.

Home at 6:00 – quite dark – [Bertha] tells me the Phila Orchestra played the 7^th Symphony of Sibelius and I am sorry I missed it -

Evening Boston Symphony play Finlandia & the 2^nd Symphony - Superbly done.

If only we knew that Sibelius was all right, and whether he has been able to finish his (rumored) 8^th symphony.

Charles E. Burchfield, December 8, 1945