Saturday 22nd March 2025

The celebrations opened with a heritage performance by Todmorden Orchestra on 22nd March 2025. It was very fitting that the orchestra should launch the anniversary, as its connections with the building go back to a concert in the first week of the Town Hall opening in 1875.  The orchestra secured the participation of soloist Martyn Jackson, who grew up in Todmorden and began his musical career with the orchestra. This was one of the reasons the concert could probably have ‘sold’ double the number of available tickets, so popular was the performance.  Other music chosen was from composers with local connections. The 150th steering group were particularly delighted that one of the pieces was a world premiere, written especially for the 150th by Todmorden based composer, Tim Benjamin. Called ‘The Dividing Line’ it referenced the old county boundary that ran beneath the Town Hall, and this motif appeared in many of the subsequent events.  The event was introduced by the chair of the orchestra who spoke about the heritage of both the orchestra and the Town Hall building.

The audience for this concert included people who had never been to a classical concert before, or never been to the Town Hall.  

“Fantastic! Such a joyful, energising, positive and accessible evening that made me feel really connected to my community. What a privilege to have this calibre of performance on our doorstep, brought to us by people who aren't professional musicians but who play in their own time for the love of music. The value they bring to society shouldn't be underestimated. More government funding is absolutely essential to support music and the arts, in schools and at grass roots, to ensure they continue to enrich people's lives and in turn bring wider cultural, economic and societal benefits..”