A RISING star of the classical music scene in the North East will be the soprano soloist in Bach’s monumental Mass in B minor in Durham Cathedral on Saturday evening.

Rowan Pierce, who is 21 and a student at the Royal College of Music in London, will join the Durham Singers and their period instrument orchestra, the Durham Singers Ensemble, under musical director Julian Wright.

Dr Wright said: “What makes working with Rowan so exciting is her remarkable sense of musicianship and her ability to communicate with the audience.

“It's a great privilege to work with her, and we're delighted that she's coming back from London to join us on Saturday.”

It will be the first time that Rowan, who comes from Saltburn, Teesside, will have performed the work.

But it will be a return to the cathedral where last year she was soloist for the choir’s performance of Handel’s Messiah.

She is looking forward to singing again in such a magnificent setting and to the continued collaboration.

“I’m excited to be singing in Durham Cathedral again,” she said.

“It’s a wonderful location for works such as this and I’m looking forward to working with the Durham Singers and the skilled musicians of the orchestra.”

Rowan is known to North East audiences through her lieder and oratorio repertoire and this summer sang the role of Susanna in Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro with The Miranda Wright Singers at The Sage Gateshead.

Saturday’s concert will begin at 7.30pm. Tickets are from £10 to £18 with concessions and are available from Durham’s Gala Theatre box office (0191 332 4041 or www.galadurham.co.uk), at www.wegottickets.com  or by calling 0779 0148062 or emailing info@durham-singers.org