The South Yorkshire Organ Festival, running from Saturday 17 May to Sunday 25 May, invites visitors of all ages to discover the organ in a range of historic venues across the region.
Now in its second year, the festival celebrates the unique instrument and aims to make it more accessible to the public.
As part of the festival, Sheffield Cathedral hosted ‘An Introduction to the Organ’ on Wednesday 21 May. The recital was led by Cathedral Organist James Mitchell. The event gave attendees a glimpse into the organ’s rich history, wide-ranging and expressive sound.
Mr Mitchell said: “The goal of this festival is to provide a way in to people. To learn about it, to have a go and to just generally appreciate it. It’s just really about promoting the organ for anybody and everybody and providing a basis for people to learn and hopefully enjoy.”
The recital, which was part of the festival, broke down the process of the organ and what happens during a performance.
Mr Mitchell said: “This recital was my first one where I’ve done a proper come and play. Most recitals you sit down and play a set of pieces, whereas this performance was much more involved and gave people more of an in-depth look at things.”
James Mitchell currently serves as Cathedral Organist at Sheffield, following previous roles at Manchester and Gloucester Cathedrals. He began his musical journey as a pianist and was introduced to the organ by a school music teacher.
Mr Mitchell said: “I just find it a really interesting instrument… there’s actually a lot of ground and a lot of things that you can explore and do differently.”
The festival not only showcases performances but also offers hands-on experiences. On Sunday 25 May, Sheffield Cathedral will host a drop-in session where attendees can try the organ for themselves. This will be open to all ages and abilities.
Mr Mitchell said: “The goal is to kind of bring the organ out to sort of the wider public, because sometimes the organ can kind of feel a bit hidden away… It’s sometimes hard to find where to begin and where to find out.”