Beyond Saffron Hall: Music Across Essex

We know there is a real appetite for live music across the county, but we also recognise that not everyone can travel to Saffron Walden. Taking our work to other parts of the county gives us an opportunity to reach new audiences, develop relationships and learn more about the communities we hope to serve. That thinking is at the heart of an exciting new chapter for Saffron Music Trust, as we begin to establish a concert series in Chelmsford.

Our relationships in Chelmsford are already developing through Saffron Music Live!, our schools programme delivered in partnership with Essex Music Services and the Greater Essex Music Hub. We’ve taken professional musicians into primary schools for in-school performances and also welcomed primary pupils to inspirational performances at Chelmsford Theatre, including a concert with the Jess Gillam Ensemble. Across Essex, this work has reached more than 7,000 young people over the past year.

Our new Chelmsford concert series is the next step on our Chelmsford journey. We open in December with a wonderful Christmas concert from The Sixteen at Chelmsford Cathedral. The Sixteen are one of our Associate Ensembles and their heavenly voices will be perfectly matched by Chelmsford Cathedral's beautiful acoustic. The Sixteen is followed in the New Year by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Jess Gillam Ensemble, both are also Associates - we're starting with a small programme of three concerts, but we hope to build audiences so we can grow over time. 

Our priority is to establish lasting connections with audiences, musicians, schools and local organisations. We want to understand what people in Chelmsford would like from a music series and how that might contribute to the city's growing cultural ambitions. As part of the concert series we will be working with as many schools and community groups as we can, linking artists visits to schools engagement and pop up performances within the town. There are many benefits to having world-class musicians regularly visiting the city and we want the ripple effect to be felt way beyond the city centre. As a charity, we want to build something sustainable, supported by audiences, partners and those who believe in the value of live music.

Over the past year, with support from Arts Council England, I’ve been travelling around Essex looking at the musical landscape of the county. In consultation with local organisations, artists, venues and community groups, I’ve been discovering what already exists, finding out where the gaps are and uncovering opportunities for collaboration. One thing has become clear: Essex is full of musically engaged and curious people!

We are working to understand each community, building on what's already there and working alongside local people to maximise the opportunities because we want to make a meaningful contribution. Every Essex resident, regardless of age, should have the opportunity to enjoy high-quality live music where they live, to be introduced to new artists and genres and to be able to participate in music making themselves, should they wish.

We're already seeing what can be achieved through this approach. In Harlow, September's spectacular Proms in the Town Park brought over 8,000 local people people together. Young singers, amateur brass musicians and the Harlow’s famous Chorus shared the stage with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra in a spectacular evening of popular classics. Many Harlow residents told us that they felt very emotional seeing the community come together in this way.

Brentwood has a rich folk tradition, several high profile folk clubs used to exist there and Paul Simon gave his first-ever live gig in the UK in Brentwood. It is a tragedy that folk music has dwindled in the area, so we've supported the development of a folk club at the Bardswell Club, helping the club to establish itself as a place for quality music events and helping to upskill a group of residents to run the folk series.

Ultimately, our vision is for a more connected musical landscape across Essex, where organisations share ideas and resources, artists have more opportunities to perform, and people of all ages can experience exceptional music whoever they live. 

Saffron Hall will always be at the heart of what we do. It's the foundation that has enabled us to develop extraordinary musical partnerships and ambitious education programmes. Now, through Saffron Music Trust, we have an opportunity to take that experience and enthusiasm into new places and connect with other communities.

There's still much for us to discover, and that's makes this next chapter very exciting. We look forward to meeting you, wherever you live in the county.