Approximate Population: 146,234

Huddersfield Choral Society, founded in 1836, claims to be the UK’s leading choral society. Its history was chronicled in the book ‘And The Glory’, written to commemorate the Society’s 150th anniversary in 2001 — its title derived from a line in the Hallelujah Chorus featuring in Handel’s landmark choral arrangement The Messiah. The author was a choir member for over 35 years.

More recently, the town’s other main claim to international musical renown is the annual Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. It is also home to the Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra and the Huddersfield Singers.

On Christmas Day 1977, the Sex Pistols played their last two British shows, one of which was a matinee for the children of striking firefighters, at the then ‘Ivanhoe’s’ nightclub venue, before embarking on the ill-fated US tour which saw them collapse into acrimony. In the early-mid 1990s, Flex, the seminal underground Jungle/Drum ‘n’ Bass record label, was founded in Huddersfield by the musician and future BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ, L Double. In 2000 another independent record label Chocolate Fireguard Records was founded in Huddersfield by singer Pat Fulgoni who also developed the three stage Community music event Timeless Festival held in the town’s Ravensknowle Park, featuring a range of electronica, hip hop and rock music.

There are a number of other annual local music festivals held within the town and surrounding area, examples being the Marsden Jazz Festival, Mrs Sunderland, Janet Beaumont, the Holmfirth Festivals, and the Haydn Wood (Linthwaite). The Haydn Wood and Mrs Sunderland events focus on musical and oratorial performance by the town’s younger generations. Also, in recent years, free music concerts have been put on for the town, including bands such as The Ordinary Boys, The Script and Elliott Minor. There are however many other local choirs, both youth and adult, a noted example of the latter being the Honley Male voice choir.

Chartered Surveyors Huddersfield West Yorkshire

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