Claire Meghnagi soprano, Hannah Pedley mezzo, Andrew Rees tenor, Paul Carey Jones baritone
Warsaw Philharmonic, Jacek Kaspszyk conductor
Tuesday 9th June 2015, Doc/Fest, Crucible Theatre, 8.30pm
Holst The Planets
Paul Crowther – commentary;
Sheffield Rep. Orchestra, George Morton – Conductor
Women’s voices from Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus, Darius Battiwalla – Conductor
Embark on a breathtaking voyage to the outer limits of the universe as Gustav Holst’s The Planets is performed by the Sheffield Rep. Orchestra conducted by George Morton and accompanied by images of interplanetary odysseys and newly commissioned visuals by Sheffield creative design agency Human and a commentary from astronomer Paul Crowther. Brought to you by the University of Sheffield Departments of Music and Physics/Astronomy, Festival of the Mind.
A special celebration concert to mark the Chorus’s 80th Birthday and the 60th Birthday of our former Chairman, Julie Smethurst, and to celebrate the music of Vaughan Williams:
O Clap Your Hands
Fantasia on Greensleeves
Dona Nobis Pacem
The Lark Ascending
Serenade to Music
Let All the World in Every Corner Sing
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Darius Battiwalla (conductor)
Jenny Rust – Soprano, Joshua Ellicott – Tenor, Oliver Dunn – Baritone
Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus and Sheffield Bach Choir
Anna Patalong – Soprano, Frances Bourne – Mezzo-soprano, Timothy Robinson – Tenor, David Soar – Bass
James Burton, the Royal Northern Sinfonia, the Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus and a fine line-up of soloists performed the ‘Nelson Mass’. This great late work of Haydn’s is widely regarded as one of the composer’s supreme achievements. Originally conceived as a response to Napoleon’s aggressive and acquisitive foreign policy, it gained its nickname after Admiral Nelson defeated the French navy at the famous Battle of the Nile.
Following the concert in the Irwin Mitchell Hall which featured Sibelius – Symphony 5, this special ‘After Hours’ concert, free to main concert ticket-holders, featured:
Sibelius – Rakastava
Arvo Pärt – Magnificat
Ēriks Ešenvalds – Vakars (Evening)
Ēriks Ešenvalds – Lielupe (The River Lielupe)
Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus, Darius Battiwalla (conductor)
The annual Christmas Concert featured the Black Dyke Band, one of the world’s most celebrated brass bands, joining forces with Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus for the fifth year in a row. This pairing delighted the audience with their seasonal offering of carols and yuletide favourites for all the family.
Annual Christmas Carol Concert – 7pm on Saturday 12th December 2020
Sadly, our much-loved carol concert with the world-famous Black Dyke Band at Sheffield City Hall had to be abandoned because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Christmas Carols in the City Hall
However, Chorus and band have been working on a virtual Christmas carol concert, recorded from our own homes. The concert will feature a new version of the 16th century carol Resonet in Laudibus, arranged for brass band and chorus by our Music Director Darius Battiwalla, and the beautiful traditional Welsh lullaby Suo Gan, sung in Welsh with violin, harp and organ.
We are thrilled that our new Patron, BBC Radio 3’s Petroc Trelawny, has kindly agreed to present the concert, something he has done at the City Hall a number of times over the last few years.
With the Chorus accompanist Rachel Fright on the piano, and Music Director Darius Battiwalla on the Leeds Town Hall organ, this will be a virtual concert not to be missed!
Resonet in Laudibus arr. D. Battiwalla. Chorus, Black Dyke Band, Darius Battiwalla (organ)
Suo Gan (Welsh traditional) Chorus, Susan Voss (violin), Eira Lynn (harp), Darius Battiwalla (organ)
Deck the Hall arr. Langford. Chorus (a capella)
Gaelic Blessing John Rutter. Chorus, Rachel Fright (piano)
The Holly and the Ivy John Gardner. Chorus, Rachel Fright (piano)
Hark the Herald Angels Sing Mendelssohn. Chorus, Black Dyke Band, Darius Battiwalla (organ)
‘Awake Arise’ – our Christmas CD – an ideal Christmas gift
Our Christmas CD
Buy our Christmas CD ‘Awake, Arise! A Yorkshire Christmas Carol Collection for Brass and Voices‘, recorded with the world-famous Black Dyke Band. This collection has a real Yorkshire flavour and includes some of the Sheffield carols, traditionally sung in Sheffield pubs over the Christmas period.
It also includes arrangements by the Chorus’s gifted Music Director, Darius Battiwalla, of such Christmas classics as Joy to The World and O Holy Night, a firm favourite at our annual Christmas concerts at Sheffield City Hall. Other favourites include I Saw Three Ships and Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and the band playing the March from Tchaicovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and the wonderful Sleigh Ride from Prokofiev’s Lieutenant Kijé.
To order your copy for £12 including postage and packing, please contact
You might also like to check out our most recent CD Anthems, Hymns and Gloria for Brass Band, which reached Number One in Classic FM’s specialist classical albums recently, as well as being Album of the Week. The CD, directed by Professor Nicholas Childs and Chorus Music Director Darius Battiwalla, was recorded in St Oswald’s Church on Bannerdale Road in Sheffield. It features eleven tracks composed by Rutter and arranged for brass band by Belgian conductor Luc Vertommen, including the Pie Jesu from his 1985 Requiem, and This is the Day composed for the wedding of HRH Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011. For further details and how to purchase, see Anthems, Hymns and Gloria for Brass Band
Carol Singing
Each year members of the Chorus volunteer to sing Christmas carols at a range of venues around Sheffield. Sadly none of the singalongs proved possible this year. However, the Chorus has contributed music from the ‘Awake Arise’ Christmas CD with the world-famous Black Dyke Band, to a virtual carol concert in aid of youth homelessness charity Roundabout.
Also, St Luke’s Festival of Light Service of Remembrance will be virtual rather than a live service this year. We were very keen to contribute to this very special event, as we do every year, and you can hear us sing ‘We Saw Three Ships‘ from our Awake Arise CD on the St Luke’s website
Look out for special offers! Some concerts are FREE for under 12s, or for under 16s. See individual concert details.
For Sheffield International Concert Season concerts at the City Hall, you can get 10 tickets for just £10 each, no matter where you sit – a great opportunity to get together with friends and family in the best circle seats for a third of the standard price!
by telephoning the City Hall Box Office on 0114 2 789 789 Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 6.00pm and Saturday from 10.00am to 4.00pm.
in person from the City Hall Box Office, open Monday to Saturday from 9.00am to 5.30pm, or up to one hour prior to the start on the day of the concert
Self promoted concerts
We also present self promoted concerts, which may take place at a range of venues, including the beautiful Art Deco ballroom at Sheffield City Hall, in the gorgeous acoustic of Sheffield Cathedral, at St Mark’s Church Broomhill, at the Victoria Hall or in the lovely Upper Chapel. We are committed to encouraging young people to enjoy creating, making and listening to all kinds of music including classical, so we make sure that tickets are free for under-16s.
A concert to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the cathedral’s magnificent and newly-restored TC Lewis organ. The programme will include a number of organ solos and duets, and the following wonderful choral works:
Jonathan Dove Seek Him that maketh the Seven Stars
Cassie White for music like the sea
Stanford Blue Bird
Coleridge Taylor Lea Shore & Summer is Gone
Balfour Gardiner Evening Hymn
Lili Boulanger Hymne au Soleil
Durufle motets
The programme includes the world premiere of for music like the sea by Sheffield-based Cassie White, who won second place in the Stella Jockel Young Composer Competition organised by the Chorus. It featured Lili Boulanger’s wonderful Hymne au Soleil and will culminate in a performance of the rarely-performed Messe Solonnelle by Jean Langlais, a marvellous work for choir and two organs – a real treat for lovers of organ music and majestic choral works alike!
Chorus Music Director Darius Battiwalla will conduct the choir; he will also play the organ. As befits a concert celebrating this wonderful instrument, there will be two further organists – Neil Taylor and James Mitchell. A real treat for organ and choral enthusiasts alike!
Tickets will be available online and on the door on the night.
Tuesday 9 December 2025, 7.30pm, City Hall.
Home Alone with live orchestra and chorus
A real Christmas treat – the Halle orchestra and Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus playing and singing live to accompany a big-screen showing of the popular film “Home Alone”. A true holiday favourite, this beloved comedy classic features renowned composer John Williams’ charming and delightful score performed live to picture. Hilarious and heart-warming, Home Alone is holiday fun for the entire family! Featuring Carol of the Bells, O Holy Night and other favourite carols. Not to be missed!
Professor Nicholas Childs, Conductor of Black Dyke Band
Another Christmas treat – our annual carol concert with the world famous Black Dyke Band, with presenter Josie D’Arby from the BBC Proms.
Take some time out from the hustle and bustle of all the Christmas preparations – from shopping and wrapping, to decorating and card writing – with this sparkling seasonal celebration. Join us for an afternoon filled with carols for choir, audience singalongs and musical gems for the band. The programme includes time-honoured pieces such as O Holy Night, Carol of the Bells and The Lamb as well as the popular songs White Christmas and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.
Manchester Camerata and conductor Tom Fetherstonhaugh, described by BBC Radio 3 as “a spark to watch”, guide us on an immersive journey through various sonic landscapes. Hannah Roberts, acclaimed Principal Cellist, will open the programme with the breathtaking Prelude from Bach’s spell-binding Cello Suite.
From one solitary performer, the sound world shifts as the combined forces of orchestra and chorus come together for a rare opportunity to hear Arvo Pärt’s Adam’s Lament, a work of deep contemplation.
Profoundly affected by the death of Benjamin Britten in 1976, the respect and admiration Pärt felt towards the composer can be heard in the ethereal beauty of his elegiac orchestral piece, Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten. Mozart’s timeless Symphony No.40, with its passion and urgency, will ignite the orchestra for an electrifying and energetic conclusion.
Manchester Camerata
Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus
Tom Fetherstonhaugh – conductor
Hannah Roberts – cello
J. S. BACH Cello Suite No.5: Prelude
ARVO PÄRT Adam’s Lament
ARVO PÄRT Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten
MOZART Symphony No.40
Tickets will be available online and in person from the City Hall box office.
Saturday 21st March 2026, Upper Chapel, Norfolk Street, Sheffield
Come and Sing Vivaldi’s Gloria
Following the success of our first two Come and Sing events in Upper Chapel, we return to this wonderful venue to host another. Visitors are invited to join us in a day’s workshop featuring Vivaldi’s marvellous Gloria.
Chorus members enjoying a rehearsal
The workshop will be led by our fantastic Musical Director Darius Battiwalla. Darius has conducted choral performances with leading orchestras including the Halle, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata, and he has prepared the Chorus for appearances at the Proms and for recordings with the BBC Philharmonic for Chandos. He has worked regularly as guest chorusmaster or conductor with many other choirs including the Northern Sinfonia Chorus, Leeds Philharmonic Chorus, Huddersfield Choral Society, CBSO chorus and Netherlands Radio Choir. Darius is Leeds City Organist and has appeared as organ soloist with the Halle, London Philharmonic Orchestras and the BBC Philharmonic, and he gives regular chamber concerts with members of the Manchester orchestras on piano and harpsichord. Despite this impressive record he is a very friendly conductor, encouragingly supportive and challenging in equal measure – qualities that were much in evidence both last year and this.
The day will begin at 10.30 with registration from 10am, with the morning session running to 12.30 including a break for tea or coffee and cake (included in the admission price).
We re-commence at 2pm, giving time for participants to have lunch in one of the many varied eateries in the city centre. The afternoon session will run until 4.30pm, with another generous break for tea in town, until the FREE performance for family and friends at 6pm. Scores will be provided for those who don’t have their own. NB. There won’t much note-bashing, so prior knowledge of the pieces or a reasonable ability to read music will help participants make the most of the day.
Tickets for visiting singers will be available online costing £25 including score hire and refreshments.
Sunday 7 June 2026, 4pm, City Hall
MENDELSSOHN Elijah
The Hallé
Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus
Matthew Hamilton conductor
A star-studded cast of soloists
Hallé Choral Director, Matthew Hamilton, takes the helm for this spectacular season finale. A true showstopper, Mendelssohn’s Elijah captures the full spectrum of humanity’s struggles and triumphs, bringing the powerful story of the prophet Elijah to life through music. For this masterpiece, Sheffield’s resident orchestra and
chorus will be joined by a star-studded cast of soloists who will weave this rich tapestry of sound, blending rousing choruses, lyrical arias, complex choral fugues and vivid orchestrations, ending with a triumphant “Amen”. Commissioned by the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival in 1846, Mendelssohn returned to the city to conduct the premiere of Elijah to find crowds had flooded the streets and the large audience frequently interrupted the performance to applaud! “Never was there a more complete
triumph” wrote a reviewer in The Times.
Tickets will be available online and in person from the City Hall box office.
From 2010 to 2020 the Chorus performed works spanning seven centuries and eleven nations, in English, German, French, Hungarian, Latin, Russian and Latvian. We sang works by stalwarts such as Monteverdi, Tallis, Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Verdi, Vaughan Williams, Tippett, Schoenberg, Britten and Bliss, but also by contemporary composers such as Wilby, Mealor, Jenkins, Part, Gorecki and Esenvalds.
Click on the links to view details of our performances for each season:
Steve’s fantasy concert was a performance of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem in Sheffield’s City Hall in December 2011. The Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus (supplemented by singers from the CBSO Chorus), the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (conductor Michael Seal), Lindley Junior School Choir and three top-class soloists helped to create an extremely moving and memorable event.
Steve says “I chose the War Requiem in memory of my wife, who had died two years earlier, and my mother who died earlier that year, and because it was Britten’s centenary year and I’d worked with him in the 1960s and had admired his War Requiem since I first heard it in 1962. It is an expensive work to perform, but my mother had left me some money – and she’d have been glad that I put it to good use. The whole experience of helping to organise the concert and the emotions of the performance itself have left wonderful abiding memories.”
Read why for Jo Briddock, 2nd Alto with the Chorus, her fantasy concert would have to include Brahms’ Requiem.
What’s your fantasy concert? If you have an occasion that you’d love to celebrate by supporting us to bring your fantasy concert to life, contact us now at
In 2016 Julie Smethurst lived her dream of creating a large-scale choral concert at the City Hall on 4 June, to celebrate her 60th birthday and the 80th anniversary of the Chorus. “I’d always dreamed of being able to sponsor a classical concert to the extent of being able to say what I wanted on the programme. Vaughan Williams became my favourite English composer in my teens, so the whole concert is made up of his music, including the mesmerising The Lark Ascending. The choices have been chewed over quite a bit but all the pieces I wanted have made it to the final line-up – with no compromises.”
Julie Smethurst
But even armed with extensive personal experience and supportive colleagues who have been organizing and promoting concerts for over 15 years, the financial and practical implications make for a long to-do list. Concerts of this nature can take between 2 – 5 years to plan, to allow for venue and performer diary dates to align and partnerships to be devised. These are the real keys to success due to the team of professionals and volunteers needed; members of the Chorus, orchestra, bands, soloists, conductors, music directors, and all the ‘behind the scenes’ personnel who are needed to deal with booking the venue, ticketing, contracting, stage management and publicity.
Is it daunting? “I’d be telling fibs if I said no, but it’s also such a thrill and a privilege to celebrate my birthday so collaboratively, and with a splendid, experienced, and friendly team of people.” Classical concerts on this scale are just about impossible to make commercially viable, hence the importance of finding sponsors. Julie explained “I certainly couldn’t afford this on my own. A full orchestra costs around £20,000, then there’s venue hire and soloists’ fees to name just a few items. So we are all clubbing together to get the event off the ground. This is the fulfilment of a long-cherished dream. I can’t quite believe that the wonderful Royal Liverpool Philharmonic orchestra, four soloists, and two large choirs will all be joining forces to create an unforgettable Birthday celebration. I can’t wait!”
Julie was prompted into making her dream a reality when fellow singer, Steve Terry, Bass with the Chorus, donned his ‘executive producer’ hat in December 2013. Read about his fantasy concert here.
So what would your concert be? Read why for Jo Briddock, 2nd Alto with the Chorus it would have to include Brahms’ Requiem.
What’s your fantasy concert? If you have an occasion that you’d love to celebrate by supporting us to bring your fantasy concert to life, contact us now at
Each year members of the Chorus volunteer to sing Christmas carols at a range of venues around Sheffield. Sadly none of the singalongs proved possible this year. However, the Chorus has contributed music from the ‘Awake Arise’ Christmas CD with the world-famous Black Dyke Band, to a virtual carol concert in aid of 
See What’s On this week in Sheffield on the 
Alone”. A true holiday favourite, this beloved comedy classic features renowned composer John Williams’ charming and delightful score performed live to picture. Hilarious and heart-warming, Home Alone is holiday fun for the entire family! Featuring Carol of the Bells, O Holy Night and other favourite carols. Not to be missed!
landscapes. Hannah Roberts, acclaimed Principal Cellist, will open the programme with the breathtaking Prelude from Bach’s spell-binding Cello Suite.
Steve says “I chose the War Requiem in memory of my wife, who had died two years earlier, and my mother who died earlier that year, and because it was Britten’s centenary year and I’d worked with him in the 1960s and had admired his War Requiem since I first heard it in 1962. It is an expensive work to perform, but my mother had left me some money – and she’d have been glad that I put it to good use. The whole experience of helping to organise the concert and the emotions of the performance itself have left wonderful abiding memories.”