Music transforms lives.
Music has the power to engage us cognitively, physically, and emotionally. Music can motivate, comfort or inspire us. We can use it to create meaning, to express our deepest feelings without having to use words, and to connect with others and with ourselves.
The arts are rooted in creativity and shared history. They tell stories of who we are, and where we came from. They build a sense of belonging and ownership. And they can make a tangible difference to how we feel.
Music played a pivotal role during the pandemic in supporting people through the daily challenges of isolation, loneliness, uncertainty, loss and stressors that none of us could have predicted. Music was to people what they needed it to be inthat moment – motivation, inspiration, comfort, distraction, stimulation, solace, connection, joy.
Bishop’s Stortford Sinfonia is committed to bringing live music to the local area and to share the benefits of experiencing a concert with others – whatever age you are, where-ever you are from, and whether this is your 1st or 100th concert.
Bishop’s Stortford Sinfonia has developed SOUND MIND, a series of initiatives to make our concerts accessible to everyone in partnership with Healthy Hub East Herts
Listening Cafe
Come join members of the orchestra on a Sunday afternoon for an hour of active listening. In a relaxed atmosphere our talented musicians will share some of their favourite pieces which you will listen to together over a cup of tea and a slice of cake.
The next Cafe will be at the Methodist Church, Bishop’s Stortford, CM23 3AZ on Sunday 12th May, 4:00pm. To book a place please email info@bishopsstortfordsinfonia.com.
Diverse Listening Environments
Diversifying our listening environments to reflect our neurodiverse society.
As our society begins in earnest to integrate neurodiversity into our workplace and educational environments, we still expect everyone to listen to a concert in the same way. We aim to diversify the listening environments, allowing for flexibility in the way our audiences experience our concerts.
Chill Zone – lie down or lounge on cushions for a relaxed listening experience.
Writing Zone – tables, pens, pencils, and paper available for writing, drawing or doodling.
Moving Zone – shoes off! Gentle wandering / movement will be allowed, as long as it’s without shoes and is not disruptive to the musicians or other audience members.
Switch Off
In today’s fast-paced society, with often inescapable audio and visual stimuli, we are all in ever-increasing need for opportunities to ‘Switch Off’, and for real, live, and human experiences. Concerts are the perfect opportunity to retreat from the noisy world, take a mini-holiday, inside a music shrine – to release your mind, relieve anxiety, stimulate imagination, and let music take you on a journey – coming back to reality hopefully renewed and refreshed from your sojourn. For millennia, humans have naturally gathered together, and concerts are a perfect mixture of a highly individual and personal experience, within the safety and comfort of a collective environment, and a perfect antidote to our digital and individualised world.
Sound Medicine
Prescribed live concerts to improve conditions such as loneliness, anxiety and depression.
We are working with the Healthy Hub East Herts to support people that have been prescribed to use music to help their mental health and wellbeing. Important initiatives such as social prescribing are supported by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Sinfonia strongly believes we should be at the forefront of this movement.
For more details, please visit the Health Hub East Herts website here.
Bishop's Stortford Sinfonia 