As James mentioned, with all-new RPS Membership, we have begun a new series of talks and events in which great classical artists and unsung musical heroes talk from the heart about why music matters to them, aiming to present more personal and human perspectives of an art form that to many can still feel intimidating. All our talks are filmed so RPS Members anywhere can watch them at their leisure.

One of our first talks, presented in Autumn 2019, was entitled Why Singing Matters and asked why as a nation we love singing, from weddings to karaoke to our wonderful choral societies, including yours! To discuss all the joys of singing, we brought together the much-loved bass Sir John Tomlinson who came to singing through his local mining community, the upcoming soprano Nadine Benjamin (most recently seen in ENO’s televised Messiah) who started out as a banker but whose destiny was always to sing, and Susie Gorgeous who runs the inspirational 'Streetwise Opera' which transforms the prospects of the homeless by involving them in opera. They talk openly and emotionally to Katy Hamilton about why singing matters to us all.

If you enjoy watching this, we warmly invite you to join the RPS. As a Member, you will have exclusive access to a range of other films from musical figures such as Nicola Benedetti, Sir Thomas Allen and conductor John Wilson talking to each other about their Northern roots, the inspirational parents of the Kanneh-Mason family, baritone Roderick Williams and pianist Joanna MacGregor opening up their rehearsal process for us to glimpse inside, and much else.

Members can also watch in full our brand new film about The Lark Ascending in which Tasmin Little and others share their personal impressions on the much-loved British masterpiece. You can watch a short trailer for it here.

RPS Members can also enjoy the RPS Magazine, a treasury of inspirational news and views on what's happening in classical music; explore the dedicated 'Members Area' of our website; and nominate for all the prestigious RPS Awards, having a say in who deserves classical music's top honours. We love to hear Members' views on why classical music matters to you.

As musicians yourselves, Scunthorpe Choral Society members will know how important keeping music going throughout the pandemic has been for both personal and public morale. With musicians nationwide finding themselves in precarious positions this year, the work that the RPS does to help classical music is even more vital. RPS Members' subscriptions directly drive our charitable work, helping performers and composers nationwide to fulfil their calling. We strive for every Member to feel a greater sense of connection and fellowship with our mission to celebrate and protect classical music - and with what makes Britain truly 'philharmonic'.

Click the button below to find out more about becoming a Member of the Royal Philharmonic Society.

If you have any questions about Membership, please don’t hesitate to contact us at members@philharmonicsociety.uk - we’d love to hear from you!