Choirs from three historic towns and cities along Hadrian’s Wall will come together next month for a spectacular joint concert, marking the close of the choral year and celebrating the region’s rich musical heritage.
Cathedral and Abbey Choirs Along Hadrian’s Wall to Unite for Spectacular Newcastle Concert
Around 120 choristers and adult lay clerks from Newcastle Cathedral, Hexham Abbey and Carlisle Cathedral will perform on Saturday 4 July at 6pm as part of the Hadrian’s Choirs Festival , held this year at Newcastle’s Church of England cathedral.
The annual festival celebrates the long-standing choral traditions of communities along Hadrian’s Wall.
The combined choirs will present a special performance of Mozart’s Coronation Mass , while each choir will also give its own contribution to the programme. The concert will feature well-loved church music by Samuel Sebastian Wesley, marking the 150th anniversary of the English composer’s death, alongside other popular choral works.
The performance will be accompanied by timpanists and trumpet players from Royal Northern Sinfonia, based across the river at the Glasshouse International Centre for Music.
All three choirs are based at cathedrals or abbeys without choir schools, meaning their choristers – some as young as seven – come from a wide range of localschools. At Newcastle Cathedral, the Schools Singing Programme partners with 14 primary schools, providing free, high-quality musical training and an introduction to choral singing.
The concert takes place on the eve of Newcastle Cathedral’s final services of the academic year. Following services on Sunday 5 July, the Choir will begin their well-earned summer break.
Newcastle Cathedral’s Director of Music, Ian Roberts, said:
“The Hadrian’s Choirs Festival has become a wonderful annual celebration of the rich choral tradition that stretches across the North of England. It’s particularly great to see so many young people from different backgrounds as part of the three choirs, and that they’ll be accompanied by musicians from the Royal Northern Sinfonia. We’re looking forward to welcoming audiences for what promises to be a memorable evening of music.”
Tickets, priced at £5–£18, are available to book in advance through the Newcastle Cathedral website here.
