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The Sheffield International Concert Season (SICS) is organised by the Halle Concert Society (HCS) and Sheffield City Trust (SCT) – formerly by Sheffield International Venues (SIV). HCS is the over-arching organisation that deals with the affairs of the Halle orchestra and chorus and all the associated subsidiary groups. SCT is the social enterprise that runs the City Hall.
Darius has discussions with the Halle Concert Society about works that could form part of the International Concert Season, including works suggested by chorus members. Over the last few seasons, for example, we have sung most of the works that were suggested by chorus members via a survey that was conducted a few years ago. Discussions focus on practical musical issues such as size of orchestra required, likely rehearsal requirements, availability of particular instrumentalists or soloists, etc. Darius says ‘Putting together the whole season is very much a jigsaw and by the time all the various factors have been taken into account the actual choice of repertoire is quite constrained‘.
Costs obviously play a part in deciding what the annual programme is able to be. The costs are such that roughly two thirds of tickets must be sold for an orchestral concert to break even, more if the orchestra is large and the soloists expensive. Choral concerts are more expensive, because of the costs involved in erecting the choir risers, expanding the stage so an orchestra still fits, and removing the seats in the stalls; more than three quarters of the tickets must be sold for a choral concert to break even. This has affected the number of choral concerts that SCT and the Halle Concert Society have felt able to support in Sheffield over the last few years. The fact that SCT is a social enterprise with limited funds limits its capacity to subsidise concerts.
The Chorus has responded to these issues by performing more self-financed concerts, aided by generous sponsors and people donating their services for free. Examples include the Messiah concert sponsored by Bill Smyllie, the Vaughan Williams concert sponsored by Julie Smethurst and others, and the War Requiem, which was sponsored by Steve Terry. These concerts were also supported from chorus funds, in accordance with our purpose as a registered Charity.
The chorus may need to continue to perform self-financed concerts alongside those organised as part of the SICS, in order to secure a vibrant and exciting annual programme.
Administrator email Anne Adams can be contacted at
Discount for Choir Clothing
Making Music is offering members a discount for the black performance clothing available online via this link. The clothes are crease resistant and designed for performance comfort and breathability. The discount code is makingm10.
Listen to Rachmaninov piano duet played by Darius (attachment) July 2020
Darius has been unable to get to an organ during the lock-down, so to keep his hand in on the piano he’s been playing the final two movements of the Rachmaninov Suite for Two Pianos (playing both parts). If you’d like to listen to the result, he’s recorded them:
You can also listen to the recording of the new brass arrangement of the soprano aria ‘How Beautiful Are the Feet‘ from Handel’s Messiah. The new arrangement is one of three from Messiah that Darius has put together during the lock-down. Soprano Catrin Pryce-Jones was to have performed Messiah with us in April, and was happy to make the recording with Black Dyke Band, all performing from their own homes during lock-down. You can listen to it on the public area of the website: Listen to How Beautiful Are the Feet
Common People About a dozen members of the chorus answered the call for singers to make a film to celebrate 50 years of BBC Radio Sheffield, and they did us proud. The fabulous results can be viewed on YouTube, or you can hear all about how the film was made on the BBC website.
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