In 1920, despite a growing tremor in his hands, Sibelius composed the "Hymn of the Earth" to a text by the poet Eino Leino for the Suomen Laulu Choir and orchestrated his "Valse lyrique", helped along by drinking wine. On his birthday in December 1920, Sibelius received a donation of 63,000 marks, a substantial sum the tenor had raised from Finnish businesses. Although he used some of the money to reduce his debts, he also spent a week celebrating to excess in Helsinki.