Revel in the incomparable music of Anton Bruckner with a full weekend festival celebrating his 200th birthday. Grand symphonies, glorious sacred music and captivating chamber pieces created by a visionary composer who pushed boundaries and inspired radical change.
Royal Northern Sinfonia, Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia and four brilliant soloists bring the ‘Great’ Mass No. 3 to life in vivid technicolour while Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, The Hallé and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra present powerful, passionate performances of Symphonies No. 7, No. 8 and No. 9. The string principals of Royal Northern Sinfonia explore Bruckner’s lesser-known String Quintet in an intimate Sunday morning recital.
Our weekend starts with pick-ups (some feeders) from Knutsford, Manchester, Chester, Wirral, Liverpool, Crosby & Preston before we head North East to Newcastle.
We stay four nights at the contemporary Hampton by Hilton in the heart of Newcastle and adjacent to the pedestrianised city centre. Buffet breakfast is included each morning at the hotel.
Dinner this evening at a noted Tyneside restaurant.
On Friday we spend the day with a local City Guide getting to know Newcastle and Gateshead. Our tour will be a mix of walking and a panoramic drive with the coach. Highlights include the Lit & Phil (as old as the Liverpool Athenaeum and the largest independent library outside London); Grainger Market (still almost 100 stalls in this historic setting); Grey's Monument, Newcastle Cathedral and a panorama of the Seven Bridges of the Tyne.
We have an early dinner before we cross the Tyne to Gateshead and the newly renamed Glasshouse International Centre for Music tonight's concert with Domingo Hindoyan and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (see concert listing below).
Saturday morning is free to explore at tour own pace. Newcastle has a vibrant arts scene and you might want to visit the Biscuit Factory, the UK's largest independent commercial art, craft & design gallery or the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead or more traditional museums such as the Laing Museum & Great North Museum: Hancock .
This afternoon our second concert (3pm) is with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Chorus.
We stay at the Glasshouse for dinner between performances and return to the concert hall for this evening's performance with The Hallé and Sir Mark Elder in his final season with the orchestra.
Sunday we start early with an 11am performance of Bruckner's only String Quartet with musicians from the Royal Northern Sinfonia String section. There's time for a lunchtime snack (own arrangements) before the final concert of our weekend with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and their Associate Conductor Alpesh Chauhan.
We return to the hotel after the concert and have a farewell dinner this evening in the heart of the city.
On Monday we depart mid morning and make a stop for lunch enroute before returning to the Northwest.
Here's the complete music programme:
Friday 1 March, 7.30pm - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Domingo Hindoyan conductor
Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 7
Saturday 2 March, 3pm - Royal Northern Sinfonia
Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia
Dinis Sousa conductor
Elizabeth Watts soprano
Hannah Hipp mezzo-soprano
Thomas Atkins tenor
Mark Stone baritone
Anton Bruckner Mass No. 3 ‘Great’
Saturday 2 March, 7.30pm - The Hallé
Sir Mark Elder Conductor
Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 8
Sunday 3 March, 11am - RNS Quartet
Royal Northern Sinfonia
Anton Bruckner String Quintet
Sunday 3 March, 3pm - BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Alpesh Chauhan Conductor
Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 9
Deposit: £250pp and final balance is due 20th December.
