Birdsong at Dawn – Sheffield Chamber Music Festival (Samuel Worth Chapel)

A magical dawn concert among trees, birds and music

As the city sleeps and the birds awaken, Ensemble 360 invites you to experience one of Sheffield’s most atmospheric musical traditions: Birdsong at Dawn.

Set among the sheltering trees of Sheffield General Cemetery, this early-morning concert takes place inside the beautiful Samuel Worth Chapel, as the natural dawn chorus weaves seamlessly with live music inspired by birdsong.

This much-loved event returns as part of the Sheffield Chamber Music Festival, offering a moment of calm, reflection and wonder at the very start of the day.

Music inspired by birds across three centuries

Performed at first light, the programme features flute and piano music spanning Baroque elegance to 20th-century colour and complexity — all inspired by the sounds and spirit of birds.

Programme highlights include:

• Olivier Messiaen – Le Rouge-gorge, L’alouette Calandrelle, Le Merle Noir, Le Loriot

• François Couperin – Le rossignol en amour

• Jean-Philippe Rameau – Le Rappel des Oiseaux

• Georg Philipp Telemann – Fantasias No.2 & No.7

• Camille Saint-Saëns (arr. Richter) – Volière

• Antonio Vivaldi – Cantabile from Il Gardellino

• Bohuslav Martinů – Flute Sonata No.1 (excerpt)

From nightingales and larks to blackbirds and orioles, the music mirrors the living soundscape beyond the chapel walls.

Post-concert bird walk

After the concert, ticket-holders are invited to join a guided Bird Walk led by Tom McKinney of BBC Radio 3 — classical music’s favourite birder and a long-standing friend of the Festival.

The walk explores Sheffield General Cemetery, celebrating the real-life avian musicians encountered at dawn.

Strictly limited to Birdsong at Dawn ticket-holders.

Why this event is special

• A rare 5am concert experience

• Music and nature perfectly intertwined

• Deeply atmospheric and reflective

• A uniquely Sheffield cultural tradition

Booking offers

Part of Music in the Round Sheffield:

• Save 20% when booking 10 or more concerts in one transaction

• Save 10% when booking 5 or more concerts in one transaction

🎟 Tickets & full details:
https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/birdsong-at-dawn