The classical music industry in Sheffield is ‘vibrant and booming’, as the city gears up to celebrate this year’s Classical weekend.
A biannual event, this is the sixth weekend, and will see over one hundred different performers at events all around the city.
Organiser Rose Wilcox said: “We’ve got such a huge, vibrant and booming scene for classical music in Sheffield, and that is growing as well.”
The English Touring Opera relocated to Sheffield last year, whilst Music in the Round is one of the largest chamber music organisations in the country, and this year’s Classical Weekend is set to reflect that growth.
Wilcox said: “It’s a really good opportunity to try and promote the music making that takes place, and make it not seem like it’s something that’s far away or something that doesn’t happen, and to try and get people to understand that it’s a part of people’s everyday lives in and that it can be for everybody.”
Sheffield-based violinist and leader of the Brigantes Orchestra David Milsom spoke of ‘a real sense of pride’ in seeing how the festival has grown over the years.
He said: “I’ve dedicated my life to it as basically an art form with no barriers. It knows no barriers of gender, ethnicity, is not as many people think elitist and posh, it’s everybody, and it shows life in all of its variety. So that is why I am sort of dedicated to this art form, and have been all of my life and always will be.
“It’s often said that classical music is dying out and that there are real problems but my experience is that there’s a massive amount of interest amongst young people in music of all types, including classical music.”
Free pop-up events are taking place in Sheffield City Hall, the Winter Gardens and Upper Chapel, while ticketed events are capped at £5 as the organisers aim to draw people into classical music.
Veteran of the festival, choir singer and trustee at Classical Sheffield, Anne Adams said: “There’s nothing like live orchestras, the sound that surrounds you, it’s food for the soul.”
Gallery Credit: Maria Ellmore