Leeds Triennial Festival facts for kids
The Leeds Triennial Festival was a big music event held in Leeds, a town in Yorkshire, England. This festival started way back in the 19th century, a time when huge choirs (groups of singers) were very popular. Even though the Leeds Triennial Festival doesn't happen anymore, Leeds still hosts many exciting music festivals today!
Contents
A Look Back: Festival History
How It All Began
The story of the festival starts on 7 September 1858. That's when Queen Victoria herself opened the brand new Town Hall in Leeds. This building was super big! It could hold 4,000 people and a choir of 400 singers. Imagine all those voices! A famous composer named Sterndale Bennett led the orchestra and choir at this special opening performance.
What "Triennial" Means
The word "triennial" means something that happens every three years. But funnily enough, the next festival after the opening didn't happen until 1874. The first festival actually called the Leeds Triennial Festival took place in 1880. It was led by another famous composer, Arthur Sullivan.
World-Famous Composers Join In
These festivals became very well-known around the world. Why? Because many famous composers were asked to write brand new pieces of music especially for the choirs. They would even come to Leeds to conduct their own music!
Some of these amazing composers included:
They all created new musical works that were first heard at this festival.
Later Years and Legacy
Later in the 20th century, many other famous musicians were part of the festival. These included well-known names like Benjamin Britten and Aaron Copland.
The very last Leeds Triennial Festival happened in 1985. But the music didn't stop there! The Festival Chorus and the Leeds Philharmonic Chorus (two big singing groups) still perform. You can often hear them at the Leeds International Concert Season, which takes place in the same historic Town Hall.
