MORE than 300 vocalists and musicians will come together at The Glasshouse to perform a choral masterpiece this month.

Royal Northern Sinfonia and Chorus, as well as a starry line-up of soloists, share the stage with local amateur musicians from across the North-East to perform Michael Tippett’s 'A Child of Our Time'.

The event on Sunday, November 24, at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, 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.

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 rehearsing to become one of the biggest performing groups the region will have seen, building on a previous landmark occasion, The People’s Requiem, in November 2020.

Sharing the stage with Royal Northern Sinfonia, its chorus and conductor Dinis Sousa, local participants also perform alongside some of the world’s most celebrated singers – soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, mezzo-soprano Dame Sarah Connolly, tenor Nicky Spence and bass-baritone Sir Willard White.

A Child of Our Time is renowned for its depth and demanding vocal passages, making it a thrilling showcase of talent. It was written in the early 1940’s by British composer Michael Tippet (1905-1998), and was influenced by his strong political beliefs. Musically, it has been compared to a 20th century take on Handel’s Messiah, following the same structure and using a lot of traditional classical techniques but with a more modern sound.

Share the Stage was imagined by Royal Northern Sinfonia’s principal conductor, Dinis Sousa, who 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.”