After a period of “dormancy”, the Bermuda Philharmonic Society is set to return to the stage this weekend in an effort to entertain and promote the arts.

Alison Black, the chair of the organisation, said that while the orchestra had fallen by the wayside in recent years, she and others made the decision to come together to bring it back into the spotlight.

“I think it’s really important for our community to have an orchestra,” she said. “It’s a musical centre of sorts. Orchestras work with all sorts of people in all genres.

“There is also a lot of very good music teaching going on, but we need the pinnacle at the top of the period. We need to have an ensemble that is part of Bermuda for students to look towards and say that is where they can play when they grow up.”

She said that the group was thrilled by the response it received from musicians about taking part in the concert, entitled Spring Prelude, saying that more than 20 string musicians jumped at the opportunity to play.

“It’s going to be a fantastic, fantastic concert of music from the mid-19th century to the present,” she said. “One of the violin teachers will be joined by his son for a couple of pieces, which will be something.”

Asked why she felt the orchestra — and musical education — was important, she said: “I think music is a uniquely human language, often with no words. It reflects many cultures, but it also transcends culture and words. It’s something we all enjoy and share.

“For children, they get lots of good stuff. There are studies that show it helps develop brain function.

“Then there are the important things like focus and attention to detail.

“It’s also uniquely, for children and adults, a way of sharing an experience with other people quite unlike everything else.”

• Spring Prelude will be held at the Earl Cameron Theatre in City Hall at 7pm on March 5. Tickets cost $25 for adults or $15 for students and seniors, and are available at ptix.bm or at Harbourmaster.