The Brigantes Orchestra celebrates two giants of classic music

The Brigantes, conducted by music director Quentin Clare, is the city’s own professional orchestra and has been performing to critical acclaim at venues across the region since 2019.

Its 2023/24 season at Sheffield Cathedral continues on Saturday March 2 at 7.30pm with Apotheosis of the Dance, a programme of buoyant, energetic music full of joy.

The double bill features Stravinsky's complete ballet score for Pulcinella, the 1920 work commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev for the celebrated Ballets Russes and famous at its premiere for the sets and costumes designed by a young Pablo Picasso.

Also on the programme is Beethoven’s legendary Symphony No 7 in A, with its celebrated second movement that has become a cinema favourite, featuring in everything from Oscar-winner The King’s Speech to Sean Connery sci-fi epic Zardoz.

“This is a programme which brings together the familiar and perhaps not so familiar,” said Quentin.

“Stravinsky’s music borrows from loads of baroque composers including Pergolesi, and reimagines their music for the 20th Century while Pulcinella is a kind of Masked Dancer from 100 years ago!

“Almost everybody, of course, will recognise Beethoven’s Seventh and its beautiful second movement in particular.

“But the rest of the symphony is one of his most energetic and exciting.

“Wagner described the piece as the apotheosis of the dance and with its bouncing rhythms and relentless energy, you can certainly hear why!”

To find out more about Brigantes Orchestra and its 2024 concert season visit thebrigantes.uk