Talented musicians from across the North of England will return to Newcastle next week as the progressive Northern Orchestra performs a programme of Scandinavian and Russian music on Saturday 6 May.
Northern Orchestra will bring together nearly 50 of the most outstanding musicians from the North of England to perform at St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle-upon-Tyne on Saturday 6th May at 7pm.
Tickets are priced at £15, with concessions £12, students £5, and a discount ticket available for £10 for anyone signing up to the e-newsletter in advance.
During the two-hour concert, Northern Orchestra will perform a programme of Scandinavian and Russian music, including Pictures at an Exhibition (M Mussorgsky), Sigurd Josalfar (E Grieg), Finlandia (J Sibelius) and Concert Overture in E-flat (L Norman).
Michael Lamb will conduct the full orchestra including wind, strings, brass, piano, harp and percussion instruments for the second performance of the Northern Orchestra in Newcastle. Last year over 200 people enjoyed the inaugural concert from the progressive community orchestra.
Formed in 2015, by local musician Michael Lamb, Northern Orchestra seeks to produce the highest quality orchestral music using and rewarding the most outstanding musicians from the North of England.
Michael, age 31 from Whitley Bay, is a musical director, conductor and teacher. Through Northern Orchestra he aims to reinvent the current model of community orchestras, where musicians have to pay to take part, and instead, shares the proceeds of concerts with those performers.
“The North hosts a wealth of orchestral talent and this concert is all about bringing music home. I want people to be able to hear the north’s best classical musicians, from where there is so much talent, right here in Newcastle. In fact, the musicians are so talented and experienced that we only need one full rehearsal which takes place one week before the concert,” said Michael Lamb.
“It’s also very important to me to make orchestral music accessible both to lovers of classical music and to a new audience; and to all musicians. Unlike many others, Northern Orchestra does not require musicians to pay to play, in fact, we pay the musicians for performing.”
Michael Lamb is Director of Music at a Newcastle Secondary School, a founder of the North East’s premier big band and jazz orchestra, Strictly Smokin’ Big Band, and has more than 15 years’ experience of conducting musical ensembles.
Community orchestras are traditionally funded by their members, with musicians ‘paying-to-play’ performances. Northern Orchestra was set up to challenge that approach and will pay musicians for each of its projects and is establishing itself as one of the most exciting northern ensembles. Bringing, the best emerging and established talent from across the north, to perform entertaining and exciting programmes of classical music accessible to all.
More information and to purchase tickets visit www.northernorchestra.com or follow on Facebook