Royal College of Music professor to research 1970s Perkins Engines ‘industrial concerts'

Throughout the 1970s Perkins Engines organised a series of annual ‘industrial concerts’ which brought some of the world’s finest classical musicians to Peterborough.

Cheap tickets were offered to factory employees, and all 1,600 seats in the Cathedral invariably sold out.

Yehudi Menuhin, John Barbirolli, Daniel Barenboim and Vladimir Ashkenazy were amongst the soloists and conductors who performed each summer, giving many in the audience their first experience of live orchestral performance.

Now, Royal College of Music professor, Robert Adlington, is researching the history of ‘industrial concerts' to try to discover more about Perkins’ motivation for supporting these events, and how they were received by employees.

The company evidently wished to enrich the cultural lives of their workers, but they were also driven by business considerations.

Notably, in 1973 Perkins commissioned a new symphony from avant-garde Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki at the same that they were seeking new business in communist Poland.

The commission was widely praised by London critics but enjoyed a mixed reception from the Peterborough audience.

Professor Adlington wants to hear from anyone who attended these concerts and is willing to share their recollections.

Readers can contact him direct at [email protected] to find out how they can participate in his research.