As the world is plunged into crisis with the war in Ukraine and Britain mourns the loss of its Queen, two masterpieces of music are due to be performed which bring historical parallels with those two key events.’
First founded in 1915, the Newcastle upon Tyne Bach Choir is one of the leading choirs in the North East of England. Comprising around 100 singers, it continues to celebrate the legacy of the great Johann Sebastian Bach but also enjoys a broader repertoire, including commissioning new works.
Performing at least three concerts each year it often works with world-class soloists and instrumentalists, and for the last few years, it has given large-scale performances of major works in Sage Gateshead involving the talented young musicians of the Newcastle University Symphony Orchestra.
Led by Professor Eric Cross who has conducted the Newcastle upon Tyne Bach Choir since 1984, Eric is Emeritus Professor of Music and Culture and has edited works for recordings by Richard Hickox, Emma Kirkby, James Bowman, Julia Kogan and Catherine Bott. He has also written and presented numerous illustrated talks in the UK and abroad and has featured on TV and radio
‘When millions of people across the globe are being forcibly displaced, fleeing war, violence and
persecution, there can be few pieces of music more relevant to the world political situation than
this,’ said Professor Cross, as he introduced the choir’s upcoming performance of A Child of Our Time by British composer Sir Michael Tippett.
The work is to be performed in the fantastic setting of the newly modernised Newcastle Cathedral
on Saturday 26th November 2022 at 7.30 pm.
Composed between 1939 and 1941 Tippett wrote both the music and the words, and this ‘secular
oratorio’ is his artistic and emotional reaction to the events in 1938 which led to the ‘Kristallnacht’
pogrom in Germany, triggered by a 17-year-old Polish Jewish boy, who, angered by the persecution
of his mother, shot a German diplomat in Paris.
‘However,’ as Professor Cross puts it, ‘The radiant final ensemble ends on a note of optimism,
affirming that “there is no final grieving, but an abiding hope.”’
Asking, ‘What of the boy then?’ Tippett speaks to the hearts of all people, and in a pointed
departure from tradition uses deeply emotional African-American Spirituals, such as Steal Away,
Nobody Knows, By and By and Deep River in place of more traditional chorales.
The programme also includes Beethoven’s Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II, creating yet
another poignant link to current events following the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
The choir will be joined once again by the Newcastle University Symphony Orchestra – its first
concert since the start of the pandemic – and by an impressive quartet of soloists, two of whom,
Tenor Richard Pinkstone and soprano Ana Fernández Guerra, have local connections.
Tickets for the concert are £25 for seats in the central nave (£12 for students/unwaged) and £18 for
seats in the side aisles (£5 for students/unwaged). They are available through the “Buy Tickets” link
on the Choir’s website: www.newcastlebachchoir.org.uk/a-child-of-our-time/. Some tickets may be
available on the door but cannot be guaranteed depending on demand.
Ends
Photo shows: The choir
Contact keith@highlightspr.co.uk 07814 397951 for more information