Now entering their tenth year of captivating audiences with an incredible repertoire of own songwriting and arrangements, jazz septet The Easy Rollers return to the city where it all began to embark on their most high-profile UK tour yet. Ahead of their performance at Stoller Hall this April, the first on their tenth anniversary tour, we chatted to saxophonist Jamie Stockbridge to find out about their Manchester origins, how the last 10 years have shaped the band, and what we can expect at their show.
Can you tell us about your special connection to this city?
The band was formed in Manchester, on Oxford Road. Our first gigs were in bars and cafes around town, and now to have travelled around the country, released some records, written some new music, and to be starting the tour in a venue like the Stoller Hall feels like a nice full-circle moment for everybody.
This year will mark ten years of The Easy Rollers. Can you tell us a bit about your journey?
So, the band met at the Music College. Our first gigs were actually in the bar there! That bled into trying to find some other opportunities just to play. We ended up at the Edinburgh Fringe for a while, and that slow growth culminated in playing the lunchtime series at the Bridgewater Hall. That felt like a moment where we now were able to communicate ourselves to rooms that have a certain amount of prestige associated with them, and that galvanised us for this tour to play at places like Stoller Hall. We’ve all seen world-leading artists here before, and it feels like this tour is the next step up the rung for us as a band.
It all started with us cramming into a corner of a small sweaty pub somewhere in South Manchester, so now to be in a large, less sweaty not-pub does feel like we’re heading in the right direction!
How has your music changed over the last ten years, and how do you keep the sound fresh?
What’s been exciting with our most recent album is that we’re not only playing music from 100 years ago, but we’re writing brand new music that draws on those ideas, and that feels like an exciting place to be. Having a foot in both camps as a writer of music myself, it’s a lovely challenge to have.
Audiences can expect to come along and see a band that doesn’t present this stuff as just a museum piece. We’re still trying to keep it very much alive and as fresh and exciting as the original 78 records would have been. They’re still massively interesting and energetic and brave to listen to, and we want to try and communicate that sort of energy with what we do, so it felt natural to try and write some original pieces as part of that. At our Stoller Hall show, we’ll be playing all the original stuff on the record, and this will be the first time that audiences can hear some of these new pieces.
What can audiences expect at Stoller Hall’s show, the first on your UK tour?
Whenever any music has got an element of improvisation or live interaction involved, I think what’s fun is it feels different across an entire run of gigs. You’re also seeing us surprise one another and wrong-foot one another and excite one another with how things come out differently than it did the day before, and coming to day one of a tour, you always get this candid snapshot. It’s often incredibly energetic because we’re all so excited to finally get it into the world, and you get everyone’s first expression of how they want those pieces of music to go. It feels different for us eight gigs on, and it probably feels different for an audience eight gigs on as well. On the first night of a tour, you get a really honest expression of what you want that music to sound like, and that’s particularly true when it’s something as interactive as making jazz music.
Catch The Easy Rollers at Stoller Hall on 16 April and be transported back to the golden age of jazz. Get your tickets on our What’s On page.
We’re delighted to announce a new cohort of Haworth Emerging Artists for 2026-2027. Three early-career musicians join us on this year-long programme to help them gain invaluable industry knowledge and develop key skills to support their work.
This year’s selected artists are:
Talland Quartet – an award-winning Manchester-based classical string quartet. All alumni of the Royal Northern College of Music, the quartet stars violinists Dylan Edge and Orla McGarrity, violist Rebecca Stubbs and cellist Nathan Jackson-Turner.
Grace O’Malley – a captivating musical storyteller and alumna of Chetham’s School of Music, Grace is a Manchester and London-based soprano working in opera, art song and character-led vocal performance.
Hera Piano Trio – an exciting chamber ensemble based in Manchester and formed of violinist Caterina Bordoni, cellist Gabriela Peres and pianist Winnie Su. They bring diverse cultures and individuality to their performance.
The Haworth Emerging Artists Scheme, now in its fourth year, supports early-career musicians to take the next steps in their professional careers through mentoring, performance opportunities, and engagement with students at Chetham’s School of Music. Our new cohort will receive guidance in marketing, fundraising, programming and general management from our in-house team, as well as the opportunity to perform in our outstanding chamber spaces, the Carole Nash Hall and Chetham’s Library’s medieval Baronial Hall. The scheme is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Haworth Trust.
You can see each artist perform in our Rush Hour Concert series this autumn and support emerging talent. These early-evening performances are the perfect way to avoid the end-of-the-day rush and will be just £5. Tickets to be announced soon.
Our Emerging Artists Scheme is just one of the ways we are committed to supporting diverse musical voices and inspiring a new generation of performers at Stoller Hall. We can’t wait to work with each of these artists and get to know them during their time on the programme.
Among the seasonal madness, the Creative Engagement Team at Stoller Hall find a rare moment of quiet to reflect on a packed autumn term. Here’s what we’ve been up to!
Team Growth
As the Creative Engagement Team continues to deliver an ever-increasing number of projects, there was only one solution… to expand the team! In September, we were thrilled to welcome Chris Mather onboard as our new Creative Engagement Coordinator. In one term, Chris has seamlessly become part of the Creative Engagement family and is conducting excellent work across our Schools and Haworth Emerging Artist programmes. Welcome, Chris!
Schools
September also saw the return of our popular Key Stage 2 Online Workshops. Themed around nature, our free online workshops provided 1,062 children with the opportunity to explore a variety of musical skills including Body Percussion, Lyric Writing, Found Sounds, and Soundscapes. Facilitated by musician Sarah Atter, the sessions were not only fun and interactive for attending schools, but also a great opportunity for young musicians from Chetham’s School of Music to share their musical skills and passion.
“It’s one of the best parts of Chets to have these opportunities to inspire younger generations of kids and hopefully be able to share my love of music and songwriting with them, and even more amazing that a collaborative compositional process can happen across schools and the product of so many musical minds!” – Bardo, Year 13.
To book your place on next term’s KS2 workshops, contact us at joinin@chethams.com
Encouraging students at Chetham’s to share their musical skills with other young people and inspire them is at the heart of what we do. This was evident during our recent visit to Burnage Academy for Boys, one of 30 MiSST (Music in Secondary Schools Trust) partner schools in the UK. Five of our woodwind and brass students performed for all Year 7 and 8 pupils, each of whom has received their own instrument through the MiSST programme. By demonstrating their instruments, discussing their musical journeys, and sharing some of their favourite music, our Chetham’s students inspired the young musicians at Burnage to continue developing their skills and to pursue their musical education with confidence and enthusiasm.
Library Tours
From September 2025, we’ve been delivering tours and workshops within the historic Chetham’s Library to schools across the northwest. We offer curriculum–informed workshops focussing on both History and English, using items from our collection as sources for study and to build pupil’s knowledge of the topics presented.
This has been in development for many months, and so far feedback from these tours is excellent, with visiting pupils praising the staff, workshop activities and Library space.
‘I loved exploring the different rooms, the Library was really cool to see’ – Year 11 pupil
‘I liked getting to write my poem best and hearing the poems everyone else wrote’ – Year 9 pupil
‘I have learnt a new way to engage pupils in poetry!’ – English Teacher
We will continue to develop these workshops, build a richer offer and engage with as many schools as possible. The Library is a hugely valuable resource, and we would love to share it with as many people as we can! School Tours and workshops at the Library are now sold out until April 2026, and we are working to maintain this level of interest moving forward.
Creative Engagement continued to support Chetham’s students in sharing their music with a wider audience through the sell-out free Relaxed Lunchtime Concerts.
These popular events featured 17 students showcasing a range of musical talents to 191 members of our Stoller Hall community this term. The concerts also celebrated nationwide initiatives, including International Day of Older People and National Befriending Week, highlighting the power of music to connect people across generations. With exciting plans ahead, we are eager to get to know our loyal audience better and ensure we continue to provide meaningful musical experiences for everyone. Relaxed Lunchtime Concerts will return for the new year on Wednesday 4 February.
Our Make Some Noise! Programme provided music development courses for young people who access support from Wood Street Mission. During October half-term, we welcomed 20 young people from Ardwick for a day packed with music-making and songwriting. With the guidance of musicians Liam Frost and Ellen Lewis, every participant learned new skills around creating and making music. We can’t wait to welcome more young people from Salford and Manchester to Chetham’s for music-making and creativity in the new year!
Families
This Autumn term we welcomed back 932 members of our family audience, introducing children aged 3–7 to musical adventures with old and new friends through Stoller Story Sounds and Mini Music Adventures.
After a summer preview in the Lake District, our brand-new Stoller Story Sounds character, Robot, was warmly embraced by our Stoller Hall families. Joining Robot on their first adventure into the forest, children explored the natural world through colour, sound, and movement.
In October, Leo the Lion returned, travelling across Jungle Island to enlist his friends in creating the perfect birthday treat for Tunde Turtle’s 102nd birthday. Young audiences had the chance to sing, get creative, and play a variety of percussion instruments, including the surdo, marimba, and timpani.
Closing the Autumn family season, our Mini Music Adventurers joined storyteller Faz Shah and guest musician Rapasa Nyatrapasa Otieno on a brand-new journey to Kenya in Quiet Kijana & the Water Queen. Accompanied by students from Chetham’s, the performance was filled with traditional Kenyan music and instruments, interactive music-making, and plenty of dancing, encouraging imaginations to soar.
We used this Mini Music Adventure’s celebration of Kenya as an opportunity to broaden our family community by connecting with Know Africa CIO, a Wythenshawe-based charity that supports and celebrates African people and culture across Manchester and beyond. Know Africa promotes African heritage while offering valuable community support through learning and engagement opportunities. To support these aims, we were delighted to invite Know Africa families to join our wider Stoller family community in exploring and celebrating Kenyan culture and music.
We can’t wait to welcome our family audiences back in 2026 for more Stoller Story Sounds performances and our Big Band Bop family concert in March!
Emerging Artists
Our Emerging Artists 2025 programme is almost at its conclusion. We have seen outstanding concerts from Dominic Mattos, Rory A .Green and Sagnick Mukherjee, with Eleanor Dunsdon and Gregor Black performing in the Carole Nash Hall next year as part of Manchester Folk Festival.
The artists have spent time with Chetham’s students delivering masterclasses in strings, music technology and folk, as well as developing knowledge and skills in marketing, development, engagement and more! Over the next 12 months, we will be expanding and evolving our development opportunities within the programme, including building a collaborative project, expanding our Rush Hour Concerts series into a fully-fledged programme, and increasing the onsite time we have with our artists.
We are now taking applications for our 2026 Emerging Artists programme, so if you are a northwest-based musician in the first three years of your career, we would love to hear from you! We are excited to develop and support even more artists in these essential early-career years, as well as expand our offer to other art forms to create a truly enriching and collaborative development programme.
‘It’s amazing to have this opportunity to be a supportive environment that encourages you to further critically think about and refine your work’ – Sagnick Mukherjee
‘Having someone who’s willing to hold your hand and give you a bit of support is an amazing thing’ – Dominic Mattos
‘This scheme has allowed me to take time away from my usual work and focus more just being creative and exploring new sounds and new music for myself’ – Rory A. Green
We can’t wait to deliver even more opportunities for experiencing music, supporting emerging talent, and bringing communities together in 2026!
As a charity, making music fun, affordable, and accessible to the people of Manchester and beyond is at the heart of what we do. However, keeping our projects affordable comes at a cost. Therefore, if you feel able to, we would be very grateful for any donations, no matter how small, which can support our mission to share music with everyone. Find out more here.
Bring your curiosity and let live music do the rest…
While everyone else is dusting off gym memberships and attempting ambitious meal plans, why not step in a world of live music? Here at Stoller Hall, we have something for everyone to make your New Year’s resolutions feel louder, brighter, and a whole lot more fun!
In 2026, we’ve got breath-taking opera, smooth Friday-night jazz, big band tunes to make your little ones bounce in their seat, and so much more that you’ll be talking about all year long.
On Saturday 24 January, experience Mozart’s playful opera in 45 minutes in Whistle Stop Opera: The Marriage of Figaro.
Figaro and Susanna are getting married, but trouble is on the horizon… their boss Count Almaviva is out to bed the bride, the lovesick pageboy Cherubino keeps landing himself in hot-water and, to top it all off, if Figaro cannot repay his debt to Marcellina, he’ll have to marry her instead.
With four professional opera singers and an accordionist as your guide, take a whistle-stop tour through the comic twists and glorious music of one of the world’s most popular operas.
“Not so much a band name as a whole genre of its own, Budapest Café Orchestra embraces an encyclopaedia of music and mischief” – Scotsman
On Friday 20 February, travel to all corners of the world as Budapest Café Orchestra bring their own unique sounds to our stage. From Balkan and Russian traditional music to artful distillations of Romantic masterworks to soaring Gaelic folk anthems, Budapest Café Orchestra is an unforgettable musical experience.
Your lunchtime has never sounded so good. On Wednesday 4 February and Wednesday 4 March, our Relaxed Lunchtime Concerts are the perfect introduction to classical music.
There’s no dress code, you don’t need to know your Beethoven from your Bach, and you won’t be shushed by an usher.
Our friendly team are on hand and happy to help with whatever you need. You can find more details about accessing our venue here.
For families in Manchester
At Stoller Hall, there’s plenty for your little ones to experience and discover magical musical performances perfect for the whole family.
Performed by young musicians from Chetham’s School of Music, Big Band Bop is a family-friendly music event in Manchester that gives children a fun and engaging introduction to instruments of the orchestra through the sound of a Big Band!
Each performance is a musical adventure, following the sounds of jazz and big-band music from around the world. With exciting storytelling, children can easily connect the music to the journey they’re hearing.
This is a fun and welcoming family concert with no need to sit still or stay quiet. Children and their grown-ups are welcome to move, dance, and clap along.
Perfect for children aged 7+ as a first live concert experience, this family music event promises an unforgettable hour full of rhythm, stories, and smiles.
Happening on Sat 14 February, our Stoller Story Sounds are musical journeys that will transport you to a beautiful world of new and exciting sights and sounds. Perfect for children aged 3-5 (and their grown ups)!
The world is huge and Robot can’t wait to explore! What will Robot discover? Who will Robot meet? What new sounds will Robot hear on the journey? Come along and find out!
Join us on our story, exploring the world around us. With storyteller Emily Capstick, illustrator Lizzie Finlay, and musicians Gemma Ashcroft and Ryan Breen, these interactive music sessions feature live music and illustration, storytelling, and more!
Step inside Stoller Hall and discover something new in 2026.
Why wait? Let curiosity take the lead because your next great night out is waiting for you. Head to our What’s On page to book a show.
The festive season is in full swing here in Manchester, and we’ve got our top performance recommendations to kick off the countdown to Christmas.
Winter can be a difficult time, but what if we made peace with the darkest time of year? Wintering is a beautiful upcoming performance on 27 November from Manchester Collective in collaboration with vocal ensemble The Marian Consort, inviting us to slow down as we usher in the winter solstice, and embrace the healing energy this season can bring.
On 11 December, we’re taking a magical journey through the world of Harry Potter with Mystery Ensemble. Hear the iconic sounds of the Harry Potter film soundtracks brought to life by a live orchestra, for all the family to enjoy!
It’s not Christmas without the music of Michael Bublé! Bublé By Candlelight on 12 December and 20 December brings a selection of Bublé’s greatest hits, performed by vocalist Josh Hindle with support from a 7-piece swing band, and including classics from Bublé’s Grammy Award-winning album Christmas.
We’re delighted to welcome back the sensational Down for the Count Swing Orchestra for their annual Swing into Christmas show. With two performances on 13 December, Down For the Count’s incredible 30-piece big band will celebrate legendary hits from Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday for an unmissable show that will be sure to make Christmas feel special.
We also have returning performers the William Byrd Singers presenting Bach’s Christmas Oratorio on 14 December. Last performing with us in 2022, this longstanding North-West choir will pay homage to a beloved Christmas classic. In the words of choir member Leslie Robinson, ‘whether hearing it for the first time or returning to it as an old favourite, audiences can expect to be moved, uplifted, and inspired by one of the greatest works in the choral repertoire.’
70s folk-rock pioneers Lindisfarne return for their annual December performance on 19 December. These masters of performance will play with a stellar five-piece line-up of long-time members led by founding member Rod Clements on vocals, mandolin, fiddle, and guitar.
After a heartwarming concert celebrating queer stories on stage in August, The Sunday Boys return to Stoller Hall on 20 and 21 December for a run of eerily beautiful shows that ask the question: can a song be haunted? A Christmas ghost story innovatively performed to a blindfolded audience, The Bells at Midwinter will be an immersive musical tale like no other, presented by the choir and creative team of last year’s ground-breaking Voices of the Polar Night.
Celebrate Christmas with live music at Stoller Hall. Head to our What’s On page to book a show.
We’re very excited to announce that the Stoller Hall has once again been recognised by the LUXLife Hospitality Awards in the category ‘Best Classical Music Venue 2025 – Manchester’, and also achieving the ‘Sustainability Excellence Award’ for 2025.
These awards not only recognise our position within Manchester’s cultural and live events sector, but also our commitment to running live events in an environmentally sustainable way. In recent years we have worked to reduce waste in all areas of our business from technical production to food and beverage; with initiatives that include everything from replacing our venue lighting with LEDs to lower our energy use, to working with local beer producers to reduce the carbon footprint of our deliveries.
You can read more about our ongoing sustainability work here.
Looking to plan a live event here in Manchester? Find out more about our hireable spaces and how we can help to make your event a success.
Our Autumn/Winter season has already been jam-packed, with family fun from Horrible Histories and Stoller Story Sounds, captivating flamenco dance from Daniel Martinez Flamenco Company, and the first of our 2025-2026 Emerging Artists Rush Hour concerts with the incredible Dominic Mattos. Looking ahead to our Christmas programme, we’re welcoming back old favourites with Down For The Count and Lindisfarne, as well as the fantastic William Byrd Singers on 14 December, who last performed with us in 2022. A longstanding North-West choir that has been active since the 70s, the William Byrd Singers are bringing us a spellbinding performance of Bach’s festive masterpiece, the Christmas Oratorio. We spoke with choir member Leslie Robinson to find out about the choir’s history, their mission, and what to expect from their performance.
Tell us about the William Byrd Singers! What’s your story and what’s the driving force behind your work?
The roots of the William Byrd Singers go back to 1970, when Dr. John Coope—GP, philanthropist, and chairman of the East Cheshire Music Committee—invited Stephen Wilkinson, Director of the BBC Northern Singers, to form a small but exceptional choir for a special concert. Stephen handpicked the very best voices in Cheshire, holding auditions to ensure top quality. The resulting performance was a triumph, praised not only for its superb singers but for Stephen’s remarkable ability to draw out a deeply personal musical response from the group.
Originally known as the East Cheshire Cantata Choir, the ensemble soon adopted the name William Byrd Singers. Under their new name, they gave their first concert in November 1970 at Whitworth Hall, Manchester.
In 2009, Stephen passed the baton to Keith Orrell, a former member of the choir with an impressive track record as a choral director. His résumé includes founding the Beaumaris Singers, leading the Birmingham Singers, and directing the Stone Choral Society. He also served as Chorus Master of the Hallé Choir for seven years, and the Music Director of the Liverpool Welsh Choral since 2003. Keith has continued to honour the choir’s founding principles of excellence while adding his own distinctive musical interpretation. Today, the William Byrd Singers remain one of the North West’s foremost chamber choirs.
Our driving force? Quite simply, it’s the unrelenting pursuit of musical excellence.
You’ll be getting us in the festive spirit with Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. Why have you chosen this piece, and what makes you excited about performing it?
Bach has always been a favourite of the Byrds – his music is a gift to singers. Every line is crafted with beauty, and the harmonies, when woven together, create something transcendent. In fact, our very first concert in 1970 featured a Bach piece (Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ), and we’ve returned to his works again and again. Our last appearance at the Stoller Hall in 2022 was a performance of Bach’s St Matthew Passion, a monumental undertaking that was met with great acclaim.
For our 2025 performance, we’ll once again collaborate with the brilliant 18th Century Sinfonia, whose period instruments bring a rich authenticity to the sound. Joining us will be four internationally acclaimed professional soloists. It’s a grand production artistically and logistically, which is why we’ve launched another Crowdfunder campaign to help raise £5,000 towards costs. Supporters will have their names printed in the programme and can choose unique rewards, from music lessons to a personal performance by the Byrds. In 2022 we exceeded our target, raising £6,100, and we’re hoping to do the same this year.
The William Byrd Singers have been performing together for over fifty years. What does it mean to be part of a group with such a rich and enduring history?
We’re hugely proud to be part of a choir with such an established and respected name. Admittedly, most of us weren’t there in those early years – only two or three original members remain (an impressive feat in itself!). But under Keith’s leadership, we’ve developed a renewed identity while holding fast to our tradition of high-quality singing.
Like many ensembles, we faced challenges during Covid, but it strengthened our bonds as a community. The joy of singing together is now even more powerful – sometimes it feels as though that joy surpasses even the individual satisfaction of tackling the challenging and distinctive repertoire that defines the Byrds.
And finally, what do you hope the audience will take away from this performance?
As Keith Orrell explains, while Handel’s Messiah is a Christmas staple, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio (Weihnachts-Oratorium) is equally iconic. It’s a work of infectious joy and celebration – from grand, trumpet-and-drum choruses to serene pastoral scenes with lyrical flutes and oboe d’amores. The contrasting arias, performed by our exceptional soloists, are as melodically captivating as they are technically demanding.
Whether hearing it for the first time or returning to it as an old favourite, audiences can expect to be moved, uplifted, and inspired by one of the greatest works in the choral repertoire.
Don’t miss this magical performance from the William Byrd Singers this December! Experience their enchanting rendition of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio at the Stoller Hall on 14 December at 2:30pm.
Did you know we host many live folk gigs at our world-class music venue? Our Autumn/Winter season is packed with unforgettable performances, from the return of fan favourite Lindisfarne, to an intimate gig from Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage, a long-awaited concert from folk-pop singer Tanita Tikaram, and much more! Check out our recommendations below.
To celebrate the upcoming release of their fifth studio album, join us for an intimate live show from Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage on 11 October. Last seen here in 2024 with as part of folk supergroup A Winter Union, we can’t wait to welcome back these incredible performers, heralded for their ‘enchantingly beautiful music’ by The Mirror and labelled as ‘flawless’ by The Guardian.
On 14 November, we’re thrilled to welcome the trailblazing folk duo Gudrun Walther and Andy Cutting to our stage. Gudrun Walther – one of Germany’s most celebrated folk musicians – will enchant with her soaring vocals and lyrical fiddle-playing, while Andy Cutting, a three-time BBC Folk Awards Musician of the Year, brings the irresistible charm of the melodeon. Together, their remarkable artistry promises an evening of music you won’t want to miss.
Mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile takes to our stage on 17 November for a special Band on the Wall fundraiser at Stoller Hall. A Grammy Award-winner and founding member of the groundbreaking groups Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek, Thile will present an unforgettable programme weaving together selections from his acclaimed solo recordings of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas with his trademark blend of classical, folk, and improvisation.
18 November brings the rare opportunity to see 90s folk-pop icon Tanita Tikaram live in concert, presented by Band on The Wall. Renowned since the late 80s for her distinctive voice and genre-defying songwriting, Tikaram will reimagine highlights from her extensive back catalogue while also debuting new material. Her timeless artistry and captivating stage presence have led Pete Paphides to describe her as “a national treasure in waiting.”
And on 19 December, fan favourites Lindisfarne return for their much-loved annual performance. With a setlist of timeless classics and their legendary stage presence, they’ll close our 2025 folk season in style.
Book your next unforgettable live music experience now via our What’s On page.
Please note there will be no Friday Night Jazz on 3 or 10 April. Jazz nights will resume as normal from 17 April.
We’re bringing a new series of free Friday night jazz to commuters in 2026! It’s a chance to see some of the best new talent in the country before anyone else.
From Friday 9 January until 3 July 2026, Stoller Hall’s atrium, including the bar, will be open from 5pm – 7pm to any visitors wanting to enjoy a relaxing drink and live music from students on Chetham’s School of Music jazz course, as well as other local jazz musicians.
The idea is to avoid rush-hour and relax with live music instead. Stoller Hall is conveniently located opposite Victoria train station for people that normally travel by tram or train during the evening peak.
The evening is free, the building is fully accessible, and there’s no dress code. You don’t need to be a jazz aficionado either – come by and discover something new in a friendly and welcoming environment.
The Creative Engagement Team at Stoller Hall has found a moment to pause and reflect after a busy summer term concluding a successful 2024–25 season. Here’s everything we got up to!
Fun for all the family
Our family programme provided more opportunities to welcome visitors into our world-class concert venue. We were off on our travels with Stoller Story Sounds in May, taking 74 children on a musical trip around the globe in search of Helena the Horse’s perfect holiday. Our team then had an adventure of their own, taking Leo the Lion and a brand-new character to Lake District Music’s Summer Festival. We loved introducing Stoller Story Sounds to new audiences beyond Manchester, and we can’t wait to introduce our new character to our Stoller Hall families this September! Look out on our social media for any clues as to who this mysterious new character might be…
We went on our final journey of the season with Mini Music Adventures in June, following Assipattle on his quest to defeat the Stoor Worm, a Scottish folklore monster. Venturing across the Orkney Isles, our mini explorers listened to new music inspired by traditional Scottish melodies composed by Scottish singer and Clarsach player Anna McLuckie. Guided by storyteller Faz Shah, our adventurers helped Anna and students from Chetham’s School of Music piece together a final song to defeat the terrifying sea monster! Join us in November for our next adventure exploring Kenya and its traditional Luo folklore, accompanied by musician Rapasa Nyatrapasa Otieno.
In July, Creative Engagement were thrilled to facilitate two local primary schools experiencing opera for the first time. Chetham’s School of Music presented its first fully staged opera, Ravel’s L’Enfant et les sortilèges, which was performed entirely in French by Chetham’s students! We worked closely with the opera’s creative team to curate and deliver an exciting workshop day including a special viewing of the dress rehearsal. The children also got the rare experience to learn all about the production and creation of the opera by speaking directly to the director, set designer and conductor.
While the production was completely in French, our workshops exploring the characters and the story and wrap-around Q&A enriched the children’s viewing experience, allowing them to focus on the finer details of the production such as the costumes, the staging and the choreography. One young audience member said:
“I know a tiny bit of French, only how to say my name and say where I study or where I live. But I thought it was quite nice because it made it more meaningful and you noticed more details because you weren’t focusing on the words. It was more like the sound and what was going on around it, the dancing and the acting.”
Lara Booth teaching schoolchildren about designing sets for opera
The unique opportunity of seeing a French opera brought to life on stage made a lasting impression on the schoolchildren who came to view it. One teacher said:
“It’s something that children wouldn’t normally be exposed to at all. In fact, you can probably tell from some of the questions they were asking none of them have ever been to an opera! So, to come in and to be exposed to the choreography, the singing, the musicianship and everything, has been just amazing for them.”
Events for our whole community
Over the May half-term and summer holiday, we continued our Make Some Noise programme in partnership with Manchester-based children’s charity Wood Street Mission. We welcomed a further 60 young people from Salford and enjoyed three fun-filled days of music-making, learning, and creating. We celebrated the end of the workshops with every participant performing the music they had created together in a final showcase. And as a Make Some Noise first, every participant received a brand-new Make Some Noise t-shirt, featuring a fantastic logo designed by a talented young participant on the programme!
Make Some Noise participants making music in their new t-shirts
Opening the doors to our exciting organisation and welcoming new audiences for the first time has remained a priority, and we loved hosting a public tour in May for members of our community. The day was packed with behind-the-scenes access to our concert halls, school building and Chetham’s Library, in addition to enjoying music from Chetham’s students at a Lunchtime Concert. We even lent a hand to our technical team learning how the magic of Stoller Hall’s extendable stage happens!
Encouraging young people to share their talents with a range of audiences is a huge part of what we do. Across the 2024–25 season, Creative Engagement have supported 151 Chetham’s students across our family programme, community tours, schools projects, and concerts. Our popular Relaxed Lunchtime Concerts alone have encouraged 74 young musicians to learn new skills and share their passion for music with 367 audience members in a friendly and accessible way.
We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported our 2024–25 events! It’s been our biggest and best year yet, and we are hard at work preparing more exciting opportunities for music making, listening and exploring in preparation for the upcoming 2025–26 season.
Keep an eye out for these new upcoming opportunities across the new 2025–26 season! Our schools programme is more action-packed than ever, and we can’t wait to bring back our wonderful KS2 online workshops, delivering learning, listening and music-making to your classrooms virtually. New for the 2025–26 academic year, we are now offering school tours of the historic Chetham’s Library, in addition to our music tour packages. To find out more about bringing your school for a visit, please contact joinin@chethams.com
This is just a teaser of everything we have planned! Keep your eyes peeled for many more opportunities to come, and we look forward to welcoming you back, or meeting you for the first time, this autumn.
As a charity, making music fun, affordable, and accessible to the people of Manchester and beyond is at the heart of what we do. However, keeping our projects affordable comes at a cost. Therefore, if you feel able to, we would be very grateful for any donations, no matter how small, which can support our mission to share music with everyone.Find out more here.
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