3 min readYoung singers from Chetham’s School of Music will star in a Christmas Festival at The Stoller Hall in Manchester, this December.
The online live stream concert – featuring traditional carols alongside festive classical repertoire – is a replacement for Chetham’s annual sell out ‘Christmas Music’ concert, usually held at Manchester Cathedral.
The Christmas Carol Concert – on Thursday 17 December – will now be among the highlights of The Stoller Hall’s new online ‘Broadcasts’ series, which was the first live music programme launched with the support of the UK Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.
The classical music venue was granted £150,000 this October, in recognition of its importance to the cultural sector.
The Stoller Hall’s Christmas Festival will also include young musicians from Chetham’s – the UK’s largest music school – performing in a Christmas Jazz concert on Tuesday 15 December.
Tom Redmond, Joint Principal at Chetham’s School of Music, said: “Our young musicians have reacted to this pandemic incredibly. They’ve developed into remarkable musicians and performers, despite all the difficulty they’ve experienced in 2020. Now, at the end of an extraordinary year, we’ll be enjoying Christmas in the usual way… by sharing some spectacular, heart-warming live music!”
New performances by established artists - specially recorded at The Stoller Hall - will also be released for audiences to view online as part of the month long festival. The new work includes pieces from British violinist Callum Smart, as well new arrangements of Christmas classics by eight-part a cappella vocal ensemble The Apex Singers, on Saturday 12 December.
The Stoller Hall’s annual ‘Makers’ Market’ will be delivered online, across Friday 4 and Saturday 5 December. It will feature a silent auction, as well as previously unseen and hand-made artworks, prints and designs by local artists.
Crafts Council’s recent survey ‘Market for Craft’ showed that 84% of makers cited fairs as their foremost revenue source. With the majority of fairs cancelled due to the pandemic, the impact of Covid-19 has been devastating for makers and musicians alike.
Fran Healey, General Manager of The Stoller Hall, said:
“We won’t give up on our long battle to support the creative community in 2020, while providing audiences with the world-class cultural experiences they deserve.
“To finally be able to host live music on our stage is a big deal. Christmas 2020 feels like a turning point for the cultural community’s fight against Covid-19.
“We hope audiences will put the fire on, pour the mulled wine, and enjoy some festive experiences music with us.
“Sing along with Chetham’s students, or sit back and listen to the best classical pieces Christmas has to offer, or pick up your Christmas presents at our Makers’ Markets to support local artists!”
Chetham’s School of Music, in Manchester, is home to more than 300 of the finest young classical musicians in the world, aged from 8-18.
The Stoller Hall, located at Chetham’s in Manchester city centre, is a purpose built classical music venue which opened in 2017. It is unrivalled acoustically in the UK. A membership scheme, newly launched for Christmas, enables audiences to support the venue’s role in the music ecosystem, supporting musicians from school to stage; with priority booking and free digital concerts.
For full event listings, or to book tickets, visit www.stollerhall.com.
