WEEKEND COLUMN SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER
An oasis of positivity celebrating the creative arts with articles, previews, reviews, interviews, and recommendations.
WEEKEND COLUMN SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2026
Previews: Cantare at Christmas, Scrooge Live To Film at the Civic, Inspire Young Producers plus Teenage Markets in Rochdale and Middleton
Review: TLC October 2026
Cantare at Christmas
Preview by Steve Cooke
The wonderful Cantare Ladies Choir are celebrating the festive season with two concerts.
Sunday 6 December, 4.30pm
Advent Concert by Svitoch Ukrainian Choir, featuring, Cantare
Cantare will be singing as guests of the amazing Svitoch Ukrainian Choir in what promises to be a very special afternoon of music.
Food and drink will be available, including a limited bar.
Venue – St Edmund’s Church, Edmund Street, Falinge, Rochdale, OL12 6QF
Saturday 19th December 2026, 7.30pm
Cantare Christmas Concert with special guests, Whitworth Vale and Healey Brass Band
The choir is excited to welcome back the superb Whitworth Vale and Healey Band for another spectacular festive evening of voices and brass. Expect a beautiful selection of Christmas music and join in with your favourite carols.
Refreshments available. Raffle and crafts.
Tickets – £15 via Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cantare-christmas-concert-tickets-2003683554449?aff=oddtdtcreator
Venue – Richard Bentley Smalley Memorial Hall, Thornham Lane, Middleton, M24 2RE
Scrooge Live To Film at the Civic
Preview by Steve Cooke
Looking for the perfect festive outing this holiday season? Step into the Christmas spirit in a magical new way with the classic 1951 film Scrooge, starring the legendary Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge.
This beloved Christmas tale of redemption and goodwill comes alive with the enchanting sounds of a newly orchestrated live score, performed by the three-piece FB Pocket Orchestra. Their reimagined music, atmospheric sound effects, and seamless synchronisation with the film will immerse you in Scrooge’s journey with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.
Perfect for families, holiday date nights, or a festive gathering with friends, this heartwarming event combines the magic of a Christmas classic with the joy of live music.
An opportunity to experience the true spirit of Christmas through the power of cinema and sound.
Composed for the 1951 film starring Alastair Sim, Addinsell’s score occupies an important place within mid-twentieth-century British composition. Far from incidental accompaniment, the music provides the structural and emotional framework of the film articulating character, atmosphere, and transformation throughout.
The score has been reconstructed by Paul Stevenson through detailed transcription from the original film soundtrack. Due to the common practice for discarding notated scores during the early development of sound for film, all of this work has been undertaken by ear.
This reconstruction preserves orchestral colour, balance, and drama and for the first time the music can be performed live in its entirety.
The Film
Released in 1951 and starring Alastair Sim, Scrooge represents the seminal retelling of this classic tale in film. The film endures not simply as a Christmas staple, but as a landmark interpretation of Dickens’ story, whose dramatic integrity and emotional precision continue to resonate more than seven decades on. Rated as U the film is open to all and is a perfect way for younger or tentative audiences to experience black and white film for the first time.
The Orchestra
The FB Pocket Orchestra is an ensemble specialising in contemporary instrumental performance. They perform arrangements and transcriptions that reimagine symphonic, orchestral, folk and early twentieth-century repertoire for a new audience.
Recent projects include Around the World in Eighty Staves, exploring global musical traditions, and Mars under Mars, a re-scoring of Holst’s Mars, the Bringer of War to accompany Luke Jerram’s installation Mars.
Their first live-to-film project Scrooge Live, featuring a reimagined orchestration of Richard Addinsell’s original score, showcases the ensemble’s ability to create an orchestral sound in an intimate format and brings this nostalgic film to life for a contemporary audience.
Watch trailer https://heywoodcivic.co.uk/event/scrooge-u-live-to-film/
Pay What You Can
Standard: £10.50
Lower: £8.40
Higher: £12.60
Saturday 14 November, 8.00-9.30pm, Heywood Civic, LCpl Stephen Shaw MC Way, Heywood, Greater Manchester OL10 1LW
Inspire Young Producers
Preview by Steve Cooke
If you could host your own music event, what would you do? That was the challenge for the Inspire Young Producers, a group of 16- 25 year-olds who have been learning all about the music industry – from booking and branding to marketing and production – culminating in this one special night of music!
This night will build on the success of the previous cohort of young producers, Common Ground, whose Rochdale Rising event saw a line-up of up-and-coming local indie bands showcased on the Heywood Civic stage.
Expect an inspiring evening showcasing the talents of local young people.
Pay What You Can
Tickets: £0, £2.10, £4.20, £6.30, £8.40, £10.50
All prices are inclusive of booking fee.
Friday 27 November, 7.30-10.30pm, Heywood Civic, LCpl Stephen Shaw MC Way, Heywood, Greater Manchester OL10 1LW
TLC October 2026
Review by Dr Joe Dawson
October 07 Seren String Quartet: in a first for this recital series, scintillating principal string players Pip Clarke and Sarah Snape (violins), Cathrine Perkins (viola) and Cathie Bunting (cello) played Puccini’s Minuet and Trio superbly as a curtain raiser to the main work,
Schubert’s Rosamunde Quartet, always a favourite of players and listeners. The collective sound of such accomplished string players was glorious in the marvellous acoustic of St Mary’s and the appreciative audience applause demanded that this first string quartet appearance would not be the last.
October 14 Oldham Community Choir: under conductor Jonathan Gibson and accompanied by J Edward Rigg the choir enjoyed its annual airing in Rochdale. From curtain up with sprightly numbers ‘Another Opening, another show’ and ‘Comedy Tonight’, before contrasted serious anthems, and more show songs we were soon at the end for ‘Stepping Out … putting on the Ritz’ with a final sizzling ‘All That Jazz’. Clearly, much care had been taken to learn singing parts and the male contingent made a fine foundation. There was a tune for everyone in this joyful, varied programme. No wonder that modern medicine recommends singing in a choir to beat the blues and maintain youthful vigour.
October 21 Lewis Kingsley Peart piano: Chetham’s alumnus and graduate of London's Trinity Laban Conservatoire, a popular returning artiste, Lewis is a busy working musician. With a strong background in theatre, he can always be relied upon to bring interesting programmes and deliver them with passion and fine playing. Today was no exception … with a cunning plan in his programme. He investigated pairings of pieces by Schubert and Chopin and went on to juxtapose Erik Satie and Debussy. These vivid contrasts served to throw fresh insights on each other’s identities. Clever stuff but even more fascinating as a vehicle for Lewis’s fresh and enthusiastic interpretation and fine playing.
October 28 John Powell baritone & Carol Kwater piano: distinguished baritone John studied at Cambridge and has lived and worked in Manchester ever since. BBC Northern Singers and founding the Britten Singers, radio and TV and major festivals, Choral director extraordinaire, at Chetham’s and others . He now teaches privately and conducts several leading choirs, societies and events. Carol is an organist, accompanist, music teacher and musical director.
Elegant professionalism throughout on the theme ‘A flock of birds’ - various settings of English Art songs, German lieder, French songs, ending with A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square, all well sung and accompanied. Carol played solos by Daquin, Tchaikowsky and Satie. A great contribution to the survival of a great tradition of solo recitals.
Teenage Markets in Rochdale and Middleton
Preview by Steve Cooke
A great opportunity for our young creatives through Teenage Markets.
Young people aged 13 - 25 have been given the opportunity to turn their hobbies into cash by hosting a stall or performing at the upcoming Teenage Markets.
In the lead up to Christmas, Teenage Markets will take place at Middleton Christmas Light Switch-on and Rochdale Ignite Festival with the Rochdale Christmas Light Switch on.
Middleton
Saturday 14 November, Teenage Market at Middleton Christmas Light Switch-on 12pm - 7pm, Middleton Gardens, Middleton M24 1AB
This market will happen outdoors in Middleton Gardens alongside fairground rides, fireworks and live performances from local community groups. The Christmas Lights will be switched on at 6:30pm.
Rochdale
The Teenage Market returns to Rochdale as part of the Ignite Fire Festival and Rochdale Christmas Lights Switch-on 2026.
The market will happen outdoors in the Rochdale Memorial Gardens as part of the winter celebrations.
Friday 20 November, Rochdale, 5 - 8pm
Saturday 21 November, Rochdale, 1 - 8pm
Sunday 22 November, Rochdale, 1 - 8pm
Rochdale Memorial Gardens, The Esplanade, Rochdale OL16 1AZ
RECOMMENDED
Saturday, 14 November 2026
Reading Group - Littleborough Library
Second Saturday of every month. A group discussing various authors, genres and themes.
For adults.
No need to book, you can just come along.
Free
10.30am - 11.30am
Littleborough Library, Hare Hill Park, Littleborough OL15 9HE
Saturday, 14 November 2026
Jen Reid - Folk Song and Dialect performance plus Q and A
Join folk singer and researcher Jennifer Reid for an afternoon of Lancashire Dialect work songs and poetry some inspired by co-operators and the movement, followed by a Q&A session.
Price from £11.75
Tickets available through Ticket Tailor: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/cooperativeheritagetrust/2394618
Performance starts promptly at 2.30pm so please arrive before the start time to find your seat, tickets include access to Rochdale Pioneers Museum which tells the history of Britain's co-operative movement.
Rochdale Pioneers Museum, OL12 0NU
Saturday, 14 November 2026
Middleton Christmas Light Switch On
Dance performances, brass ban, food & drink, fairground rides, market stalls, Christmas crafts, panto characters and special guests 'The Golden Era of K-POP' with a live performance and meet and greet. Plus enjoy the spectacular Christmas Light Switch On and firework finale! A full day of festive fun for the whole family.
Free / Pay What You Want
12:00
Middleton Gardens , Middleton, M24 1AB
Wednesday, 18 November 2026
Toad Lane Concerts - Rochdale's Weekly Music at Lunchtime
This week we have - The Kell Wind Trio: Alastair Roberts (flute) Penelope Bisby (clarinet) Alex Kane (bassoon)
Running every Wednesday, Music at Lunchtime is a weekly live classical music concert series that has been going since the 1960s. The sessions were initially run at the old Rochdale Art Gallery by the local authority, but since May 2001 have been run by volunteer-enthusiasts and artistic director, Dr Joe Dawson.
£6
Phone: Dr Joe Dawson 01706 648872
St Mary in the Baum, Toad Lane/St Mary's Gate, Rochdale OL16 1DZ
Doors open 12noon, concert starts 12.30pm - 1.30pm
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