Today, I’m the guest of Music in Allendale, a small and warmly welcoming group of enthusiasts who arrange concerts of classical music in Allendale.
Music in Allendale aims to bring classical music to the intimate setting of St Cuthbert’s Church to perform a varied repertoire by familiar and less well known composers. In September, I went to a concert by the Silja Trio – I hope I pronounced that correctly – and enjoyed music by Debussy, Faure, Piazzolla and Shostakovich. I am no aficionado of classical music and I did not know any of these pieces. But listening to them played live by these talented young musicians was little short of a revelation.
If you feel hesitant about attending a live performance of classical music, or you think it’s not really your cup of tea, I urge you to give it a go: you will not be disappointed. And, at Allendale, you will be treated to a fine supper after the concert and have the chance to chat with other people in the audience and with the musicians themselves.
To find out more about Music in Allendale, and who makes that delicious supper, I dropped in on the Committee as they discussed the programme for 2026. First, I spoke to Noel Broome, the group’s guiding light, about the history of Music in Allendale, before discussing the practicalities of bringing classical music to Allendale with the rest of the Committee.
The music in this episode was composed by Piazzolla, Debussy and Shostakovich and was played by the Silja Trio in St Cuthbert’s Church in Allendale. The trio comprises Georgie Bloomfield on violin, Cillian Hennessy on cello and Hanna Csermely.
Information about Music in Allendale and the 2026 programme of concerts will be available at https://musicinallendale.weebly.com/ and you can find more about the music and other events at St Cuthbert’s Church at https://allendalechurch.co.uk/.
