Article published in Manchester Evening News 3 April 2015

A newly created music festival is making waves in the north west, and Easter Monday, April 6, sees its classiest project yet. 

Violinist Tom Elliott is artistic director of the Glossop Music Festival – his wife is Katherine Baker, principal flute of the Hallé, and a whole community of classical musicians are behind the project. 

Their Easter concert is Bach’s St John Passion, with star soprano Elin Manahan Thomas taking part, and singers from the Dunedin Consort and other Bach specialists as soloists, chamber choir and orchestra – including Joel Hunter, principal viola of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, and Sarah McMahon, principal cellist with the Academy of Ancient Music. Venue is Glossop Parish Church, which Tom says has amazing acoustics. 

It hosted a first festival last summer, and there’ll be another this year. It all began with a chance remark by Tom’s old friend and colleague from the Royal Academy of Music, Viv McLean, a concert pianist who performed with the Hallé early in 2012.  

Tom says: “He stayed with us in Glossop and asked us: ‘Is there a music festival based here?’ I said: ‘No, I don’t think so,’ and he said: ‘Why don’t you start one?’ It all went on from there.” 

Viv has already given recitals in Glossop, the last one in December, when he played Poulenc’s flute sonata with Katherine Baker. The festival’s built around personal friendship, with conductor Chris George and orchestra leader Matthew Truscott (who trained at Chetham’s and is a historical-performance specialist) both Tom’s former colleagues.

Tom and Kath have lived in the centre of Glossop for almost 10 years, and have three boys: Arthur, 9, Henry, 7, and Felix, 5.  

“When we began our family I was away about six months out of the year, and after our second child it was clear this wasn’t going to work for much longer. So I decided to take a break and do other things.” Those included forming his own company to fit solar panels to houses, but he says he didn’t find it very emotionally satisfying, compared with music.  

“Now I teach the violin full-time, both in local schools and privately – and organizing the festival is going to keep me busy. Hopefully we’ll persuade some more of our friends to take part – and we want children to be included whenever possible. We don’t charge them for admission to concerts, as long as their parents come.”