SOME of the country’s most highly-rated professional musicians will perform at the Brinkburn Music Festival this weekend – but talented local youngsters will be playing the first notes.
A 7pm prelude to the first concert on Friday evening will feature 20 year five pupils of Lindisfarne Middle School, Alnwick, who will perform a selection of Swedish songs.
They will be followed by the strings ensemble of the Northumberland Creative and Performing Arts Service. Both groups are performing as part of an education programme created by the Brinkburn organisers, vocal organisation 20,000 Voices and Northumberland County Council.
Its purpose is to encourage young people to participate in singing and instrument playing, and to introduce a new audience to the festival at Brinkburn Priory, near Rothbury.
In its 18th year, the festival has been reduced to one weekend rather than the customary two following the loss of funding from the Northern Rock Foundation. But an appealing line-up has stimulated demand for tickets, say organisers.
Northern Sinfonia begins the professional element of the programme, following the youngsters on to the stage at 7.30pm on Friday.
The Gabrieli Consort, directed by festival founder and artistic director Paul McCreesh, will perform on Saturday evening with organist William Whitehead. On Sunday afternoon there will be a concert by acclaimed young counter-tenor Iestyn Davies and his Ensemble Guadagni.
Davies has performed with opera companies and on concert platforms around the world and, last year, was the recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Young Artist of the Year award.
More youthful talent will be on display later in the day in a performance of Fauré’s Requiem by the Gabrieli Consort and the North East Youth Chorale.
This highly-rated North East choir, which is directed by John Forsyth, will rejoin Paul McCreesh at the Royal Albert Hall on August 28 for a performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah, which also features County Durham-born mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly.
For tickets, visit the website at www.brinkburnmusic.org or call 01665 833751.