“Since its inauguration in November 1999, Ely Sinfonia has developed into a formidable presence in the musical world in Ely and a number of new faces in the orchestra for their concert in Ely Cathedral on Saturday added vibrancy and sparkle to this fine group of instrumentalists. In spite of competing with a number of…

“It is no wonder conductor Steve Bingham is enthusiastic about Ely Sinfonia. Under his baton, this orchestra has continued to grow and develop into one of the finest orchestras in the district. Their concert Northern Lights in Ely Cathedral was a magnificent testament to their expertise. The programme of Scandinavian composers introduced a variety of…

“Since Ely Sinfonia was first launched in November 1999 by Arts Development in East Cambridgeshire (ADeC) with awards from the Millennium Festival Fund and the Eastern Orchestral Board, it has established itself as an artistic force to be reckoned with. Those who were at all skeptical about the feasibility of combining amateur and professional performers…

“Steve Bingham has reached astounding levels of musicality with Ely Sinfonia. In the concert last night they were positively inspired and brought Elgar’s music alive with almost tangible excitement. While strong patriotism was present, what transfixed us was the sheer joy the musicians exuded as they revelled in Elgar’s sweeping phrases, emotional exuberance, lyrical tenacity…