The second South Yorkshire Organ Festival is set to begin this weekend and hopes to inspire the next generation of musicians.
The event, which will have multiple hosts including Sheffield cathedral and other churches across South Yorkshire, will see introductory sessions and live performances take place.
James Mitchell, Sheffield Cathedral’s organist, said: “I hope events like this continue to develop a lifelong passion of the organ.
“It can be quite intimidating to come and try the organ as it is a part of the building [Cathedral] but it is about helping people understand them and appreciate them a bit more.”
Last year’s event was the first of its kind to take place across the county with various performances, including one from Roger Sayer who played the organ in the film Interstellar, taking place.
Mitchell said that around 200 people attended Sayer’s performance and described it as a ‘magical experience’ and a ‘special event’, with the hope that audiences of this size or greater might attend events this year.
He added: “It is great, it is a feeling of engaging people as the organ can get a bad rep as it is a little bit imposing.
“Organ music is not everyone’s favourite thing so it is engaging people on a direct level rather than having a bit of a daunting feeling of a service.”
Mitchell said the festival will be kicking off with a ‘play the organ’; session at Doncaster Minster which has one of the biggest organs in South Yorkshire, if not the country.
One of the stand out events will be a keyboard workshop on Saturday May 24 where pianists can play an 1875 Lewis organ in St Marie’s Cathedral in Sheffield, which Mr Mitchell said it had not ‘changed’ since it was produced.
Mitchell said: “A lot of people do not come into the cathedral so it is a chance for people who might not come to Sunday service to learn about it so hopefully it is educational.”
The event is open to everyone, regardless of attendees’ ability or experience of playing the organ.
Mr Mitchell said: “They are not religious events,it really is for everyone and you might feel something spiritual.”
The festival is running between May 17-25.