Music organisations- Aldeburgh Festival
- Music, poetry and Art during June at Snape Maltings and in Aldeburgh and Orford, from chamber music and recitals to full orchesras and opera, Tel: 01728 687110, Email: enquiries@aldeburgh.co.uk.
- Bury St Edmunds Festival
- Music, theatre arts and cinema in May. Popular and classical, Tel: 01284 758000, The Apex, Charter Square, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3FD.
- Colchester Arts Centre
- Mainly popular shows, Tel: 01206 500 900, Church Street, Colchester, CI1 1NF.
- Creative Arts Live
- Programme of performances by students from the Colchester Institute, Tel: (01206) 712999, Swinburne Hall, Sheepen Road, Colchester, CO3 3LL.
- Ely Folk Festival
- Tales place in Ely over a weekend in July.
- Frinton Festival
- Small music festival over a long weekend in May, Tel: 01255 670808, Email: frintonfestival@gmail.com.
- Halesworth Arts Festival
- Harwich Festival
- An eclectic mix of events around the town at the end of June.
- Ipswich School Music Festival
- Takes place in October.
- Music in Felixstowe
- Professional concerts, evening and lunchtime, patron Kenneth Sillito, Tel: 01394 670633, Email: hattiebennett@hotmail.com, Marsh Cottage, IP11 9RZ.
- Pimlott Foundation
- Chamber concerts many in the charming converted barn attached to Daniella Bechly's house. Occasional larger works. Daniela (soprano) often sings, Tel: 01206 271 291, Email: contact@pimlottfoundation.co.uk, Old House, Oldhouse Road, Great Horkesley, CO6 4EQ.
- Roman River Festival
- An autumn festival of recitals, orchestral and choral music in October, featuring high-profile classical musicians in churches and other venues around Colchester. Also puts on other concerts and a short summer festival, Tel: 01206 729 356, Email: info@romanrivermusic.org.uk.
- Royal Hospital School
- Tel: 01473 326200, Holbook, IP9 2RX.
- Saffron Hall
- Offers a superb programme of classical concerts, Tel: 01799 512190, Email: Box Office: 0845 548 7650, Audley End Road, Saffron Walden, CB11 4UH.
- Snape Maltings
- Check the website for the full programme of music. Not all events are listed in my What's On calendar, Tel: 01728 687110, Email: boxoffice@aldeburgh.co.uk, Snape Maltings, Snape, IP17 1SP.
- Snape Proms
- A mixture of jazz, folk and light music alongside classical works; throughout August; more than 100 Prom tickets are sold at £6.50, Tel: 017289687110, Email: boxoffice@aldeburgh.co.uk.
- The Apex
- Concert Centre, Tel: 01284 758000, 1 Charter Square, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3FD.
- The Cut Arts
- Arts, Live link screenings, films and music, Tel: 0845 6732123, Email: info@newcut.org, New Cut, Halesworth, IP19 8BY.
Cathedrals & churches
- Bury St Edmunds Abbey
- Angel Hill, IP33 1UZ.
- Coggeshall Church
- Evening and lunchtime concerts, Tel: 01206 765641 / 01376 561764, Church Green Essex, Coggeshall, CO6 1UD.
- Lion Walk Church
- Lunchtime concerts in the centre of Colchester, Colchester.
- Music at Rushmere
- Afternoon recitals and groups on Sundays.
- St Edmundsbury Cathedral
- Hosts a variety of concerts including large scale choral works, Tel: 01284 748720, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1LS.
- St Mary-le-Tower Church
- Lunchtime and evening concerts, Tel: 01473 289001, Ipswich, IP1 3BE.
- Wrabness Concerts
- High quality professional chamber music in a small church at Wrabness overlooking the Stour. Concerts have a loyal following, Tel: Ann Rouse- 01255 880791, Email: annrouse45@gmail.com.
Music clubs & societies- Bury St Edmunds Concert Club
- Concerts at Cratfield
- High quality chamber concerts July to September all in St Mary’s church - near Southwold, Tel: 01449-720151, Email: boxoffice@concertsatcratfield.org.uk.
- Ipswich Chamber Music Society
- Four professional concerts each year.
- Stour Valley Arts and Music
- Summer festival, winter programme: high quality mostly choral music, supper concert, specialises in the baroque, Email: info@svam.org.uk, East Bergholt.
- Suffolk Villages Festival
- Based on the Suffolk-Essex border, it offers about ten concerts throughout the year, four at the Festival itself during the August bank holiday weekend and more in its Winter Series, from October to May. Sacred and secular, vocal and instrumental; semi-staged and concert performances of early operas are a regular feature. The Festival has three resident ensembles, Psalmody (a chamber choir), the John Jenkins Consort (a period-instrument chamber ensemble) and the Essex Baroque Orchestra, Tel: (01206) 366603, Email: info@suffolkvillagesfestival.com, 119 Maldon Road, Colchester, CO3 3AX.
- Wethersfield Chamber Concerts
- Based in the village in north west Essex, focuses on high standards of performance from young musicians; short season of concerts in the spring.
- Woodbridge Chamber Concerts
- High quality concerts in the town centre. It promotes young professional musicians and English music, Tel: 01986 798324.
Orchestras & chamber orchestras- Britten Sinfonia
- Ensemble founded in 1992, the orchestra is inspired by the ethos of Benjamin Britten. International stature.
- Bury St Edmunds Friendly Orchestra
- A community orchestra, Email: buryfriendlyorchestra@gmail.com.
- Churchgate Sinfonia
- Colchester Symphony Orchestra
- Mostly professional players with some students: perform together at least six times each year on Saturdays at St Botolph's Church, Tel: (01206) 500900,.
- Community Light Orchestra
- Some 70 amateur and semi-professional musicians meet in Henley Community Centre, near Ipswich, every Tuesday morning during school term times. They perform concerts of ‘light classical’ and popular music in aid of charities., Henley near Ipswich.
- East Anglia Chamber Orchestra
- Essex Chamber Orchestra
- Comes together three times a year for intensive weekend rehearsals followed by a series of concerts.
- Essex Symphony Orchestra
- Chelmsford.
- Essex Young People’s Orchestra
- Ipswich Symphony Orchestra
- One of the oldest amateur orchestras in the UK. Performs to a high standard with some famous soloist- all in the Corn Echange, Tel: 01473 258070 or 01473 433100, Email: tickets@iosoc.org.
- Kingfisher Sinfonietta
- Founded in 2011 by its leader and director Beth Spendlove. An active well respected group of up to 50 players that perfoms in different parts East Anglia, sometimes supporting choirs., Email: Kingfisherensemble@gmail.com.
- Lavenham Sinfonia
- High quality amateur orchestra; puts on three performances a year, most in Lavenham Church.
- Newmarket Chamber Orchestra
- Musicians from the Cambridge, Ely, Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds area. Plays a wide variety of classical music., Email: Newmarketchamberorchestra@gmail.com.
- Prometheus Orchestra
- Prometheus Orchestra gives concerts across Suffolk, Tel: 07365 621716, Email: prometheusO@mail.uk.
- Saffron Walden Symphony Orchestra
- Has put on a first class series of Wagner's Ring Cycle and other Wagner operas at Saffron Hall.
- Southend Symphony Orchestra
- St Botolph's Music Society
- An amater orchestra and choir with performances in St Botolph's Church, Colchester, Tel: 01206 577905, Email: director@sbms.org.uk.
- Suffolk Philharmonic Orchestra
- Suffolk Sinfonia
- A symphony orchestra composed mainly of professional music teachers ., Bury St Edmonds.
- Tallis Chamber Orchestra Society
- A small high quality amateur orchestra. Most concerts are in Westleton, Suffolk. The repertoire is mainly baroque and early classical.
- Trianon Music Group
- Amateur symphony orchestra and choir, with 220 regularly performing members . Three major concerts per year., Ipswich.
- Wolsey Orchestra
- Founded in 1972, now a full amateur symphony orchestra; gives three concerts each season. Performs in Suffolk.
Choirs & singers- Abbot Consort of Voices
- Aldeburgh Music Club
- Founded in 1952 by Benjamin Britten, Aldeburgh Music Club is one of the leading choirs in East Anglia with over 80 voices, Tel: 01728 602217, Email: email@aldeburghmusicclub.org..
- Aldeburgh Voices
- A high-quality ensemble, with regular appearances at Aldeburgh Festival and in Snape Maltings.
- Aquarius Singers
- Ladies choir, Email: gillygarside@hotmail.com, Bury St Edmunds.
- Aurora Voices
- Beccles Choral Society
- A friendly, non auditioning choir.
- Belstead Singers
- Bury Bach Choir
- A well established choir with more than 100 singing members, Tel: 01787 282451, Email: secretary@burybachchoir.co.uk, Bury St Edmunds.
- Cantus Firmus
- Choirs in Ipswich, Colchester and Bury St Edmunds meet on an occasional basis to perform sacred music, Tel: 01206 734045, CO2 0JH.
- Clacton Choral Society
- Founded in 1888. A mixed and friendly choir of about 70 people. No auditions; three concerts a year with local musicians, Tel: 01255 676755, Email: Ann Evander.
- Colchester Chamber Choir
- Director Roderick Earle - high quality choir established in autumn 2009 to promote challenging works , particularly from the pre-baroque era as well as the 19th and 20th centuries, Tel: 01206 572883/820813, Email: colchesterchamberchoir@gmail.com.
- Colchester Choral Society
- Performs traditional large scale oratorios as well as a more intimate repertoire including regularly singing a cappella. Puts on some less frequently performed choral music from the baroque period to the twentieth century.
- Dorian singers
- A relatively small choir; ranges from sacred and classical works to pop and music from musicals, Email: Alan Loader -alan@rushstan.plus.com, Felixstowe.
- Eye Bach Choir
- Chamber choir founded in 1974; three concerts a year, plus a Christmas carol event, Tel: 01449 711595.
- Hadleigh Choral Society
- A 70-strong well respected local choir, Hadleigh.
- Halesworth Festival Voices
- Harlow Chorus
- Haverhill Singers
- Friendly local choir for all abilities.
- Holbrook Choral Society
- Ipswich Bach Choir
- Founded 1929; performs the major works.
- Ipswich Chamber Choir
- At least three concerts a year in and around Ipswich., Email: ipswichchamberchoir@gmail.com.
- Ipswich Choral Society
- Formed in 1824; a friendly choir of around 100 members; major choral works.
- Kelvedon Singers
- A small choir directed by Christopher Phelps, now based in, Coggeshall.
- Kirbye Voices
- An established choir of around 30 experienced voices specialises in unaccompanied choral music of all periods, sacred and secular., Bury St Edmunds.
- Lexden Choral Society
- Up to 100 singers for the large scale works, Tel: 01206 543280/766906, Email: sarah.blake186@btinternet.com, Colchester.
- Marenzio Singers
- A five-part vocal ensemble; its repertoire is mainly from the 16th and 17th centuries..
- Nayland Choir
- About 40 members; sings traditional and some popular works.
- Phoenix Singers
- For four decades Phoenix Singers has performed more than 100 musical works, from Bach to Britten, inluding many for choir and orchestra..
- Quire
- A community choir with about 60 members, sings mainly folk choral music of a religious type., Email: bookings@quire.org bookings@quire.org, Colchester.
- Saffron Walden Choral Society
- St Botolph's Music Society (Choir)
- See also under Orchestras.
- Stour Choral Society
- Amateur choir; usually performs in Mistley Church, Email: secretary@stourchoralsociety.co.uk.
- Stowmarket Chorale
- Formed in 1901, an ambitious choir which usually give three concerts a year..
- Sudbury Choral Society
- A group of about 60 members of varying abilities and ages which gives four concerts a year, frequently with soloists and an orchestra, usually in St Peters, Sudbury.
- Suffolk Singers
- A community choir with around 30 members, Otley, near Woodbridge.
- Tiptree Choral Society
- Local choir; ramges from poular to sacred and classical works., Tel: 01206 734 540, Email: info@tiptreechoral.org.uk.
- Tower Chamber Choir
- Small choir based on St Mary-le-Tower church; classical sacred works, Ipswich.
- University of Essex Choir
- Large ensemble comprised of staff and students of the University and from the local community..
- Witham Choral Society
- Formed in 1957. Performs the major choral works., Tel: 01787 278128.
- Woodbridge Choral Society
- Founded in 1883; a friendly choir for all voices, young and old; has tackled major works..
Music groups & performers- Churchgate Wind Ensembe
- Email: gill@hartest.fsnet.co.uk.
- East Anglia Single Reed Choir
- Rehearses in Kelvedon.
- East Anglian Academy
- Organ and early keyboard music.
- Essex Concert Band
- Friends of the Moot Hall Organ
- Lunchtime recitals, Email: nigel.chapman@colchester.gov.uk., Colchester.
- Kingfisher Ensemble
- Small expert group, often plays in Lion Walk Church Colchester, Email: Kingfisherensemble@gmail.com.
- West Bergholt Concert Band
- Performs six concerts a year, all in aid of charities, Tel: Contact 01206 824157.
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