Brinkburn Priory previews the Proms

Jul 2 2009 by Barbara Hodgson, The Journal

FIRST stop Brinkburn, next stop The Proms.

Beautiful and beautifully appointed Brinkburn Priory in Northumberland will form the backdrop for a special preview performance as part of the annual classical music festival which starts tomorrow.

The acclaimed Gabrieli Consort & Players will be giving music-lovers a taster there next weekend of its production of Haydn’s The Creation, ahead of its performance at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall the following week.

It promises to be a fabulous finalé to Brinkburn Music Festival which opens tomorrow and runs over two weekends.

The concert – next Sunday, July 12 – will form part of the closing celebrations of the festival, now in its 16th year.

Joining the Gabrieli Players – and also set to perform with them in London on July 18 – will be internationally renowned soloists Rosemary Joshua, Mark Padmore and Neal Davies, plus Chetham’s Chamber Choir.

Paul McCreesh, artistic director of both the festival and Gabrieli Consort and Players, said: “We’re really proud to have been asked to perform at this year’s BBC Proms and are delighted that we can give our Brinkburn audience a taster of what the ‘Promenaders’ will hear a week later.”

Audiences will be in for a treat, as the most recent recording by Gabrieli Consort and Players of Haydn’s The Creation won them a Gramophone Award in last year’s Record of the Year choral category.

Other singers and musicians to look out for during the festival will be Seaham-born baritone Sir Thomas Allen, leading British tenor Mark Padmore performing with world class pianist Paul Lewis, the sought-after Anglo-Irish Carducci Quartet and leading British Baroque group Red Priest.

For more details visit www.brinkburnmusic.org or call (0191) 265-7777. Tickets are available by calling the Maltings in Berwick on (01289) 330999.