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| People’s Requiem – Royal Northern Sinfonia, the Glasshouse, 2021 |
On Sunday 24 November 2024, Royal Northern Sinfonia and Chorus will be sharing the stage with local amateur musicians from across the North East to perform Michael Tippett’s A Child of Our Time at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead. Conducted by Dinis Sousa, the performance will also feature soloists soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, mezzo-soprano Dame Sarah Connolly, tenor Nicky Spence and bass-baritone Sir Willard White.
Over 300 vocalists and musicians will squeeze onto the stage. Two thirds of these being passionate locals between the ages of 18 and 85. The event will mark one of the largest musical gatherings ever on the Sage One stage, bringing together amateur musicians and seasoned professionals from across the region and beyond.
Share the Stage celebrates community through the joy of performing music together. Singers and instrumentalists of all levels and abilities from the North East are currently rehearsing to become one of the biggest performing groups the region will have ever seen, building on a previous landmark occasion, The People’s Requiem, in November 2020.
The singers have been supported through a series of weekly rehearsals by the friendly, fantastic Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia and their Director Tim Burke. Throughout choral rehearsals there have been two rehearsal groups: one for confident sheet-music readers and one for those who learn by ear. Share the Stage’s focus on enjoyment and enthusiasm has encouraged a wide variety of performers to take part.
A Child of Our Time also marks the launch of The Glasshouse’s 20th birthday year, kicking off a season of celebrations that will unfold over the next 12 months and culminate in the 21st anniversary in December 2025. Highlights will include a new Share the Stage project, a digital artist-in-residence programme, and a young people’s celebratory event.
Dinis Sousa said, “This project is a celebration of music as a central part of our community. As with our Verdi Requiem in 2021, we want people to have the time and space to really get inside the music, with support from our wonderful orchestra and chorus, as we prepare for a monumental performance at The Glasshouse. Making music together, in such a welcoming but stretching environment can be a life-affirming experience, and I know that we will all treasure these weeks we spend together bringing “A Child of Our Time” to life.”
Full details from the Glasshouse’s website.
