HE’S “the world’s greatest living tenor”, according to The Sage Gateshead’s 2013 Classical Newsletter – and he’s singing at the venue tonight.

That’s quite a description to live up to but Bostridge is also the lone singer in a concert called Three Baroque Tenors, which makes you think there must be something in it.

In fact, the tenors are no longer with us but the influence of Englishman John Beard and Italians Francesco Borosini and Annibale Fabri lives on.

Their voices moved the greatest composers of the 18th Century – particularly Handel in the case of Beard – to write much more music for tenors rather than the castrati singers who had dominated proceedings since 1600.

Three Baroque Tenors, featuring arias by Handel along with Caldara, Conti, Gasparini, Scarlatti and Vivaldi, was selected and performed by Bostridge for an album released by EMI Classics in 2010.

Ian Bostridge, who was born in London and has a Grammy Award for best operatic recording, is indeed a wonderful singer, as those who have heard him perform at this venue in the past will affirm.

Tonight’s concert, inspired by the album, also features the Northern Sinfonia conducted by the Canadian Bernard Labadie.

You can get two tickets from the box office on 0191 443 4661.

Information about forthcoming classical concerts at the Sage can be found online at www.thesagegateshead.org