King Harald in Sheffield

Kicking off Sheffield Chamber Music Festival  tonight will be King Harald's Saga, sung by its ideal interpreter of today Claire Booth; who "in her spare time" is directing the whole of this year's Festival. She'll also perform, in the next week, Poulenc's La Voix Humaine, a recital of British song from Purcell to Knussen, and as a finale, the Strauss Four Last Songs.

It's an exemplary series, programmed by a different artist every year, and has its roots in the memorable years of residence in the Crucible Theatre by the Lindsay Quartet. I've never forgotten a workshop based round my First Quartet there, thirty-plus years ago, conversing, in front of hundreds of cheery Yorkshire schoolkids with the Quartet's legendary leader, Peter Cropper.

I think the late and great new music champion Jane Manning would give all this her approval. I will just mention (because she certainly would have done) that Sunday this weekend will be the 47th anniversary of her world premiere performance of King Harald's Saga, which took place at Dumfries Music Club. Eternal thanks to all these inspiring people who keep our musical world spinning with energy.

PICTURED: During my last visit to Sheffield (for the 2022 Festival, in fact)  I was clearly impressed by this unusual and beautifully painted street feature.