WE are almost at the time of the year when the attention of many Sheffield people turns to Buxton as music of the so-called classical variety all but fizzles out in the city until the end of September.

However, there are still at least six events we know about over the next three weeks, four of them with Gilbert and Sullivan leanings.
Bradfield Festival ends this Saturday with soloists from the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company – the mothballed new one – raiding G and S repertoire and other musical theatre composers for a trip Around the World in 80 Bars (or thereabouts).

Next Saturday, July 5, Dore Gilbert and Sullivan Society have an evening of Concert Favourites at Dore Church Hall, taking in, among others, Strauss, Flanders and Swann, Paul Simon and, of course, G and S.
It starts at 7.30pm and tickets, in advance from (0114) 236 2299 or at the door, are £5.

A little earlier, at 6.30pm, the Clarkhouse Road and Thompson Road gates of the Botanical Gardens open for a Classical in the Gardens night, commencing at 7pm and running through to 10pm.

Organised by the Rotary Club of Sheffield for different charities, as last year it features the Sheffield Philharmonic Orchestra who share the stage this time round with Highly Strung.

The Phil are playing Mendelssohn's Hebrides (Fingal's Cave Overture), the Chinese, Arab and Russian Dances from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, Borodin's In the Steppes of Central Asia, Sibelius' Finlandia, Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Il Seraglio) Overture and Dvorák's New World Symphony.

Music director Ewa Strusinska is the conductor, while Martin Cropper and Liz Hanks fulfil directing duties as always with Highly Strung, who play movements from concertos by Bach and Vivaldi, Strauss' Pizzicato Polka and Palladio by Karl Jenkins.
Tickets are £5 if purchased in advance – the City Hall box office and Botanical Gardens are two outlets. If still available, they are £7 at the gate on the night.

On July 7, Hallam Choral Society have a concert in the St John's Church, Ranmoor amphitheatre comprising Gilbert and Sullivan songs and choruses with different fare from guests Hatfield Colliery Band.

It starts at 7.30pm and tickets, in advance (0114) 233 1688, or at the door are £8, £6 concessions.

The following Saturday, July 12, Sheffield Chorale will be pouring the pirate sherry when they present a concert version of The Pirates of Penzance at St Mark's Church, Broomhill.

Actually, it will be wine served with strawberries at the interval as the choir's founding conductor James Kirkwood continues to fill the breach left by departed music director Craig Edwards.

A couple of 'star' guests play the Pirate King – Mike Tipler – and Major General Stanley – Steve Andrews – while Chorale's own Christine Starr represents further soloist strength as Mabel.

Other parts are played by members of the choir and the performance, accompanied by a Chorale Sinfonia, starts at 7.30pm. Admission is £10, £8 concessions, £6 students.

On July 19, Abbeydale Singers and Kevin Haighton offer their Summer Concert, again starting at 7.30pm, at St John's Church in Ranmoor.
A typical programme spans 500 years and includes music by Weelkes, Lotti (Crucifixus), Mendelssohn, Stanford, Bruckner, Messiaen, Barber (Agnus Dei set to his Adagio), Saint-Saëns, Britten, Billy Joel (And So It Goes), Gershwin (I Got Rhythm) and Autumn Leaves.

Tickets, in advance from (0114) 268 5493, or at the door are £10, £7 concessions, £5 students and free to under-16s. This includes a free glass of wine or a soft drink at the interval.