Fascinating piece of local history brought to life in special unique music and dance performance

A unique community heritage project in Newmarket, culminating in a music and dance performance featuring the renowned Britten Sinfonia, can now be seen on film.
Published: 14 Oct 2022
Image shows a musical performance
The one-off concert, which took place in the King’s Yard at the National Horseracing Museum, was the culmination of community heritage project ‘We have to move on’, which revealed the stories of Jewish refugees who lived in Newmarket during World War II.

The collaborative project between Suffolk Archives, the National Horseracing Museum, and national producer Orchestras Live, was inspired by the memoir of Fritz Ball, a Jewish refugee who came to England with his wife Eva in 1939.

As war loomed, Anthony de Rothschild offered his family residence and stables at Palace House – now the National Horseracing Museum – as emergency accommodation for Jewish refugees. Several of the refugees, including Fritz, were talented musicians and his cello plays a central role throughout his memoir, which is why it was so appropriate to tell his story partly through music.

The performance took place on 4 July 2022 and featured early-stage violinists from Houldsworth Valley Primary Academy and instrumentalists from West Suffolk Youth Orchestra playing alongside Britten Sinfonia, with young dancers from Abbeygate Sixth Form College and DanceEast choreographed by We Are UNIT.

Councillor Bobby Bennett, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Equality and Communities said:

This concert offered a unique and poignant finale to this incredibly important local history story. The film now provides a legacy to this genuinely moving project, and all the organisations that have been part of it.

Hannah Salisbury, Community and Learning Officer (West Suffolk) at Suffolk Archives’ Bury St Edmunds branch, said:

Suffolk Archives has been delighted to be able to shine a light on the little-known story of refugees in Newmarket. The concert was poignant and inspiring, and we are proud to have been involved in revealing this hidden Suffolk story.

Alexandra Fletcher, Packard Curator for The National Horseracing Museum said:

The National Horseracing Museum was thrilled to be part of such a special project. It helped us look at our wonderful heritage site with fresh eyes – as a place of sanctuary and safety

Stuart Bruce, Senior Creative Producer at Orchestras Live, said:

The remarkable story at the heart of this heritage project has inspired some amazing creativity and performances by young people in West Suffolk, working together with world class artistic leaders and orchestral musicians. The film is a wonderful legacy from this first collaboration between Orchestras Live, Suffolk Archives and the National Horseracing Museum.

The ‘We have to move on’ project was largely funded by Arts Council England. They are the national development agency for creativity and culture. They invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision.

The ‘We have to move on’ project was partly funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The National Lottery Heritage Fund distributes funding which is made possible thanks to National Lottery players.

Additional support was provided by Orchestras Live, Suffolk Music Education Hub, Suffolk County Council, the Weston Culture Fund, Association of Jewish Refugees, The Ganzoni Trust, The Chivers Trust and a private donor.

To find out more about the project visit 'We have to move on' on the Suffolk Archives website.

The full performance of 'We have to move on' can be viewed online.