Britten Sinfonia’s residency is the latest in a run of work across the East of England that demonstrates the ensemble’s commitment to serving its community
Britten Sinfonia will perform at NNUH on 2 September 2026 concluding its first five week residency in the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital neurology department that saw members of the ensemble create musical experiences for patients and staff that contributed to recovery.
Thoroughly Good spoke to members of the Britten Sinfonia including project lead Sam Glazer for a podcast episode last year when the group mounted a similar smaller project at Addenbrokes in Cambridge. Back then Glazer spoke of music as a basic human right, the effect of which is measurable in brain activity. In what felt like a real back to first principles experience, witnessing the uplifting effects of live music in medical settings was moving. Much needed perspective was found.
This work is important for Britten Sinfonia to be seen doing too. The ensemble continues to do a lot of heavy lifting across the East of England, notable by the energy evident in the experience the organisation creates. Their playlist event at Chelmsford Cathedral last year not only attracted a capacity crowd but saw them collaborate with a local brass band for the event — not simply entertaining music but facilitating experiences. In Norwich at the Festival this year theirs was a memorable appearance with composer and pianist Huw Watkins, including and a show including an electrifying performance of Copland’s Clarinet Concerto with Nielsen International Competition winner and Radio 3 NGA Oleg Shebata Dragan. It was a big travel day to get to that concert, a satisfying one too – sound editorial judgment on stage reflected in the rich programme notes written by the ensemble’s CEO. And elsewhere in Thetford in Norfolk they’re also running crucial music participation experiences in educational settings in what is, let’s not beat about the bush, a deprived and beleaguered town.
Britten Sinfonia works hard — and in doing so offers a blueprint for what a good orchestra is in the UK today: participating in the community in ways that are as crucial as they are effective.
