Classical Music and Dance

There are many many groups who are both performing and putting on classical music and dance in the county.
There are many festivals locally featuring the good and the great in music.
There are websites all about the classical scene in Staffordshire.
And We only have information about a few of them here! We are hoping that you will help us build up the list - and will use the messageboard further down the page to do just that...

And, also - if you want to get involved with music making, there is a special noticeboard for you.  Just scroll down this page to it.

Groups

Operatic, orchestral, choral...  If you know of any other societies, please let us have the details using the messageboard further down the page

Stafford & District Operatic Society - the first recorded meeting of this Society was on Tuesday 21st November 1922 when twenty enthusiasts appeared at the Sheridan Hotel; and in February 1924 the Society staged their first production at Stafford’s Borough Hall (now the Gatehouse Theatre). And still going!
Website:  http://www.staffordoperatic.org.uk/

North Staffs Operatic Society (based in Stoke On Trent) - a well established Musical Theatre company that employs professional Directors and Musical Directors to work with local performers. They hold open auditions for singers, dancers

Also to mention: New Era Light Opera Group from Burton, Lichfield Operatic Society

North Staffs Symphony Orchestra - one of the most established orchestras in the area with professional musicians in its ranks.
Website:  www.nsso.org.uk/

FrontLine Dance - renowned semi-professional company based in Stoke on Trent with a company compsoed of both able-bodied and disabled dancers.
Website: www.frontlinedance.org.uk

Choral societies include - Chadsmoor Choral Society, Audley Male Voice Choir, the Biddulph Male Voice Choir.

Stafford & District Choral Society - www.staffordchoral.org.uk
Lichfield Cathedral Chamber Choir - www.lichfieldcathedralchamberchoir.org/

Heroes (and heroines)

Denise Leigh is our most famous performer at the moment. Just put her name in our Search Box (at the top of this page) - and a whole profile of her will pop up.

'Stoke's Top Talent' featured Joy Sidley-Brooks as one of the finalists; and she can often be seen in performance locally with her group Opera Diva.

Festivals

Stoke-on-Trent Festival runs through Autumn, Winter and Spring and features major orchestras and performers both from this country and abroad.
Website:  www.stokeontrentfestival.co.uk/

Lichfield Festival is one of the country's leading arts festivals, with around a hundred events every July
Website:  www.lichfieldfestival.org

Barton Music & Art Festival  - every autumn the small town of Barton under Needwood near Burton hosts a number of events

Penkhull Festival is major classical and choral festival held in September in the village of Penkhull near Newcastle, based at Penkhull Church.
See website: www.geocities.com/bedfordsingers

Abbotsholme Arts Society was started in 1968 by Gordon Clark, the Director of Music at Abbotsholme School. There have been well over a thousand concerts, films, readings, lectures and discussions by many of the finest in their field in the world during the four decades that have followed.
Website:  www.abbotsholmeartssociety.co.uk/

And don't forget Biddulph Festival (at Biddulph High School) and 'St Paul's Lunchtime Concert Series' which runs right through the year at the Newcastle under Lyme church.

(For specific events, please return to the events pages on the rest of this website)

Links

'Creative Stoke' is a great website with news and a directory of 800+ creatives who work in & around the city of Stoke-on-Trent. For classical music, see the website:
www.creativestoke.org.uk/classical.html

Get Involved...

(This is a noticeboard for societies who have auditions or openings coming up. If you have something similar, please using the messageboard further down the page to register them)

*** If you are a string player, the North Staffs Symphony Orchestra want you, if you are Grade 7 Standard or above - they would particularly like to hear from viola players and double basses.

*** Keele Bach Choir is looking for new talent! In recent seasons it has acquired a reputation for innovative programming and performance excellence, thanks to its dynamic, inspirational young artistic director, Matthew Willis.  All voices will be considered - the only condition is that some sight-reading experience is necessary.
Rehearsal commitments are from 6.30-8.30pm on Thursdays in Keele University Chapel and all music may be borrowed. Contact Margaret Grieveson on 01782 617727 or by e-mail at mgrieveson@btopenworld.com

*** Cannock Festival Chorus are busy rehearsing for their next concert. However we desperately short of male voices especially the BASS section. The contact is our musical director GEORGE HARDY Tel: 01922 400165 or Peter Jones on 01785 713243. If you want to sing, contact!

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