We are pleased to report the survey of music lovers who attended our September concerts in Berry or Wollongong...
18TH JULY 2018
Steel City Strings Audience feedback – July 18
An audience feedback survey for those who attended the Steel City Strings Strings with Voices performance was completed by 44 people which is a whopping 61% of those surveyed.
This was the first time 70% of respondents had attended a Steel City Strings concert; 14% had attended one previous, and 16% two or more.
How did you hear about Strings with Voices at Burrawang School of Arts?
(Responses total more than 100% as the majority of respondents reported hearing about Strings with Voices from more than one source)
Responses | % |
Word of mouth | 43 |
Saw the movie The Passion of Music | 41 |
Saw of flier for Strings with Voices | 23 |
Saw a poster for Strings with Voices | 14 |
Saw it advertised on a local arts website | 10 |
Steel City Strings website | 9 |
Steel City Strings Facebook | 7 |
Heard about it on local radio | 2 |
How would you rate your overall enjoyment of the music played in Strings with Voices?
Most respondents found the music highly enjoyable (80%) or enjoyable (14%).
One person gave a neutral rating and two people had mixed feelings. One of the latter explained “I did not like the makeup of the program as it felt unlike a chamber group. I also felt like the programming was done entirely to please the crowd and not for the players and their artistic endeavours.”
Most comments however were complimentary:
“Amazingly professional performance”
”Absolutely fabulous – would definitely attend more concerts by Steel City Strings”
“Look forward to the next concert – keep up the good work”
“Thoroughly enjoyed the quality and standard of the playing – there was a freshness of tone”
“The acoustic of the hall suited the orchestra and choir perfectly – clear and audible no matter where you sat”
“Better than the movie!”
“Spellbound! Awesome!”
How would you rate the standard of playing by Steel City Strings?
Standard of playing was rated either excellent (73%) or high (27%).
“Very professional and no-nonsense – amateurs you are not”
“Most impressive – the enthusiasm shone through”
“Personally enjoyed the balanced program”
“The Holberg set the scene for all that was to follow and each item kept the standard.”
How would you rate the standard of singing by con voci chamber choir?
Singing was rated excellent (50%), high (32%) or good (14%). Two people gave a fair standard rating.
“con voci were very compatible with the orchestra and provided a lovely balance”
”I’m not sure if it was the drapery absorbing their volume but they sounded muted.”
What was the highlight of the concert for you, and why?
There were forty responses to this question, the most frequent being “the whole performance”, best summed up with one person’s comment:
“comfortable, compatible and entertaining mix of academic, technical, classical musicality and light-hearted humour and performance drama; the structure of the program was a lovely evolving journey; combination of voices with the orchestra made for appropriate program denouement. Joyful experience, classy!!! Broad appeal, not too high-brow, but definitely excellent technically!”
The most frequently mentioned pieces were the Holberg Suite and the Schubert Mass. Each of the soloists received numerous accolades. Other respondents identified the choir or the setting as the highlight for them, and for one audience member it was “watching my mother enjoying it so much for her 90th birthday.”
How likely are you to attend future Steel City Strings concerts at Burrawang School of Arts?
A high 80% of respondents are highly likely to attend, with a further 11% fairly likely. Two people were unsure, and two fairly unlikely (“coming from Sydney it’s not easy to get to”).
Is there anything you would change to make the concert experience more enjoyable for you?
Most respondents answered “no” to this question (“how could perfection be improved?”). Suggestions for improvement were
“I thought the programming too pedestrian”
“There was something for everyone but I found it a bit eclectic”
“Opening suite had no voices, I would delete it”
“The soloists were too powerful for the venue”
“Availability of a glass of champagne/wine for half time”
“Better lighting of orchestra”
How likely are you to recommend Steel City Strings concerts to a friend?
All respondents said they are highly likely (89%) or fairly likely (11%) to recommend Steel City Strings to a friend.
Additional comments.
Thirty respondents made additional comments, most reiterating their appreciation of the event (“the pride of thinking these are our local people and hey world! look what we can do”), and with many heartfelt pleas to return to the Southern Highlands.
Yve Repin
Steel City Strings Management Committee
8 July 2018