Award-winning strings ensemble to play at Derbyshire church during Sheffield Chamber Music Festival

Add award-winning classical musicians Ensemble 360, performing intimate music at sundown using the church’s octagonal nave to put the audience at the very centre of the performance.

And you have a recipe for a very special event.

Sunset: Death and the Maiden is taking place at St Martin’s on Sunday, May 14, as part of the Sheffield Chamber Music Festival (running between May 12-20).

For classical music fans, the attraction will not just be Schubert’s much beloved ‘Death and the Maiden’ quartet, as well as soulful music by Sibelius and Schnittke.

But also the design of the church, where every pew faces the middle of the venue, making for an immersive, deeply personal performance.

Renowned concert pianist Kathryn Stott, the guest curator of this year’s festival and an international performer in venues such as LA’s Hollywood Bowl, expects it to be memorable.

She said: “Obviously as a performer it is a thrill to be in those very big venues that many people know.

“But sometimes your most magical moments happen when people are sitting very close and it’s intimate.”

This year’s festival, organised by music promoter Music in the Round is a melting pot of diverse musical influences, from two tango sessions starring Argentine bandoneon player JP Jofre to the Moonlight Sonata concert with world-renowned Norwegian trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth.

In total there will be 19 events, mostly performed by Music in the Round’s resident group Ensemble 360 and invited guests.

The ensemble was shortlisted in the Ensemble category of the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards 2023, known as the ‘BAFTAs of classical music.’

Two pianos will sit side-by-side as Kathryn and Tim Horton perform a breathtaking programme of work by Rachmaninov at Sheffield’s Crucible Playhouse on Friday, May 19. The pianists will celebrate the Russian giant of 20th century keyboard compositions in the 150th year since his birth.

Festival organisers expect people to travel from around the region for the events, which also include two concerts aimed at children and lunchtime and mid-afternoon concerts including one on Monday, May 15, at 2pm featuring monumental works by Bach, Beethoven and Brahms.

Kathryn, who has focused on introducing instruments not often showcased in chamber music to the festival, added: “I would say it’s quite eclectic, the whole mix, and it’s very much about connecting people.

“The finale concert includes the Schubert Piano Quintet in A ‘Trout’ and that is something I played with the former Lindsay quartet on their final weekend in Sheffield which I think a lot of the audience will still remember as an emotional affair. I hope people coming to the concerts are going to feel these warm feelings as we explore together.”

The 39th Sheffield Chamber Music Festival will also feature classical BRIT winner Amy Dixon, known as one of the world’s best classical saxophonists. There is a film screening, workshops and a panel discussion on the impact of music on climate change.

Tickets cost between £5 and £21, with discounts for buying for five or more concerts. They are on sale at musicintheround.co.uk or from Sheffield Theatres box office on 0114 2496000.