Hundreds of musicians come together for landmark performance of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius

Hundreds of professional and non-professional singers and instrumentalists took to the Sage One stage at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music on Sunday 8 November for a major performance of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius.

The performance brought together Royal Northern Sinfonia, internationally acclaimed soloists and more than 300 singers and instrumentalists from across the North East, Cumbria and North Yorkshire, as part of The Glasshouse’s Share the Stage series.

Led by Royal Northern Sinfonia Music Director Dinis Sousa, the concert saw musicians with a wide range of musical backgrounds and experience perform alongside one another in one of Elgar’s most powerful works.

The concert featured mezzo-soprano Dame Sarah Connolly, tenor Benjamin Hulett and baritone Roderick Williams, alongside Royal Northern Sinfonia, Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia, Voices of the River’s Edge and players and singers from across the region.

Share the Stage brings professional and non-professional musicians together to rehearse and perform major works. The project is built around the idea that classical music is not just something to listen to – it is something people can take part in, whatever their age or musical experience. Participants included people with little or no formal musical training, who have been learning and rehearsing alongside professional musicians over a number of months.

At the heart of the project are the people taking part. For some, it is an opportunity to perform a major classical work for the first time. For others, it is a chance to return to music, develop their skills or perform alongside musicians they would not usually have the opportunity to work with.

For father and daughter Bill and Liz Day, the performance marked a first: the chance to sing together in public after a lifetime of sharing music as a family.

Liz said: “FANTASTIC! We have loved performing The Dream of Gerontius alongside other non-professional musicians from the region and the amazing professionals for Share the Stage. It feels lovely to finally sing together, especially in front of the rest of our family. We’ve certainly made a memory we will cherish forever.’

For Jayne Patterson, Share the Stage was also an opportunity to reconnect with someone who had played an important part in her musical life. More than 20 years after first meeting as teacher and pupil at the Royal School Dungannon in Northern Ireland, Jayne and former teacher Andrew Batchelor found themselves singing alongside one another.

Jayne said:
“Being part of Share the Stage has been the most wonderful return to choral singing for me, but more than that a great opportunity to reconnect with my singing teacher, Andrew. Nearly 20 years ago he began teaching me to sing and gave me the passion to take part in these sorts of projects. It’s been so special to share that and sing with him. The performance was absolutely electric. It’s really re-ignited my love for choral singing and my next goal is to audition for the Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia.”

Andrew said:
“At school Jayne was a dedicated musician, passionate about singing, and what better way to meet up again than to take part in this stunning piece of music and to share the stage in this wonderful venue with so many like-minded musicians. What could be better?”

For 22-year-old violinist Ciara Glasswell, the project offered the opportunity to perform alongside Royal Northern Sinfonia and gain experience of playing with a professional orchestra.

Ciara said:
“This has been such an incredible experience, I have met such lovely people.  As a recent music graduate this has given me an amazing opportunity to play beside Royal Northern Sinfonia. To perform on Sage One has been an aspiration since visiting The Glasshouse as a musician. “

Dinis Sousa, Music Director of Royal Northern Sinfonia, said:
“The Dream of Gerontius is a deeply moving piece of music, and it’s been a real privilege to hear it brought to life by so many people. At a time when it can feel harder to make connections with others, there’s something particularly special about coming together in person, with people you know and people you’re meeting for the first time, to make music.

“What makes this performance so memorable is the commitment it represents. Everyone involved has shown real courage and passion to be part of it, and this concert is the culmination of all that work. I hope everyone on stage feels proud of what they’ve achieved – it’s an unforgettable moment.”

James Thomas, Executive Director of Royal Northern Sinfonia and Classical Music at The Glasshouse said:
“It’s been fantastic to see so many people come together on the Sage One stage to perform alongside Royal Northern Sinfonia. Everyone brought something different to the performance, with a real mix of musical backgrounds and experience, but they all shared the same commitment to making it happen.
“That’s what Share the Stage is all about. You don’t have to be a professional musician or have followed a particular route into music to be part of something like this. Giving people the chance to take on a challenge, perform alongside professional musicians and experience the feeling of Being part of an orchestra or choir is hugely important to us.”

The performance follows The Glasshouse’s 2024 Share the Stage performance of Michael Tippett’s A Child of Our Time, which brought together more than 300 singers and instrumentalists and attracted widespread critical acclaim.

Photos from the performance are available here credit TyneSight Media https://www.tynesight.co.uk/The-Glasshouse-ICM-Events/081126-Share-the-Stage

The performance was also livestreamed and is available to watch for free for 30 days after the concert. Watch it here: Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius | Live from The Glasshouse: Royal Northern Sinfonia – YouTube