Big Band Event Diary
Issey Chivers and The Northern Swing Orchestra – Sunday 3 May – Swillington Club, Leeds
📅 When: Sunday 7 June at 3:30pm – Swillington Sports and Social Club
🎙️ The Northern Swing Orchestra Big Band and Issey Chivers 🎙️
🎷 Swing Into Sunday with The Northern Swing Orchestra! 🎺
🌟 Featuring the Sensational 16-Piece Big Band & Issey Chivers! 🌟
We are very excited to have the wonderful Issey Chivers return to sing with us for a third time!
Issey is a Leeds-based vocalist who has been performing in a professional capacity for seven years. She studied jazz vocals at Leeds Conservatoire and since graduating last year, has been working in a range of jazz groups, as well as leading her own project: ‘Issey Chivers Quartet’.
Issey’s influences range from jazz greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan to Eva Cassidy and modern artists such as Cécile McLorin Salvant and Jazzmeia Horn.
Come and unwind with us with a lovely afternoon of Big Band music.
🎫 Tickets: Only £7!
🎫 Under 16’s FREE
An Evening With Frank and Basie – City Varieties – Leeds – Saturday 10 October 2026
Yorkshire’s premier big band, the 16-piece Northern Swing Orchestra, is set to transport audiences back to the golden era of Las Vegas. The big band will recreate the legendary Sinatra at the Sands performance at the historic City Varieties Music Hall.
The concert celebrates the iconic 1966 collaboration between Frank Sinatra and Count Basie. Fans can expect authentic, high-energy renditions of timeless classics, including Come Fly with Me, Fly Me to the Moon and The Lady is a Tramp, all backed by the raw power of a full 16-piece big band.
Taking centre stage as the evening’s special guest is Matt Ford, widely regarded as the UK’s finest big band vocalist. A veteran of the BBC Proms and the Royal Albert Hall, Ford’s smooth phrasing and charismatic stage presence have earned him a No. 1 spot on the iTunes Jazz chart.
A Tribute to Glenn Miller with The Northern Swing Orchestra – Blackburn Empire – Sunday 11 October 2026
The Northern Swing Orchestra, a 16-piece Big Band, are very excited to be returning to the Blackburn Empire with their tribute to the great band leader and musician Glenn Miller.
Glenn Miller was one of the most successful bandleaders of the 1930’s and 40’s with a string of hit records – in fact Chattanooga Choo Choo earned the first gold record ever awarded to a performing artist. This was followed by many other hit records including A String of Pearls, Moonlight Serenade and Tuxedo Junction to name but a few. In 1942 Glenn formed his AAF band until his sad disappearance in December 1944.
This show promises to be an event not to be missed when the band will be performing classics such as Little Brown Jug, Caribbean Clipper, In The Mood, Pennsylvania 65000 along with Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree, Chattanooga Choo Choo and Kalamazoo to name but a few. They guarantee to have your feet tapping and you will want to be dancing in the aisles!
The Leeds based Northern Swing Orchestra was formed by leader Jonathan Wyatt, who has almost 40 years of experience in running a Big Band. This evening they will recreate the authentic sounds of the big band era. Also featured will be two fantastic vocalists with The Northern Swing Orchestra adding that final touch of class to an event that promises to be an evening of excellent entertainment.
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