Bede Chorus with Bede Wind at a concert at King’s Hall, Newcastle
By Ernest Young, Conductor
Choristers will be singing in celebration as they mark the 30th anniversary of Bede Chorus at a special concert being held this September.
The chorus was formed in 1993 with the intention of sharing concerts with Bede Wind, also based in Jarrow and launched four years earlier.
In its early years the choir toured home and abroad and in 1995 joined the band for four concerts in America – in Boston, New York, Washington and Virginia.
The memorable tour saw Bede Chorus hold its first rehearsal on the roof of Boston University at 8am due to high humidity and sing beside the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island, New York, in extreme heat.
Closer to home the choir also performed at the Wallington Prom for more than ten years with Valerie Reid and Graeme Danby, and this year will be the eighth year of the Daft as a Brush Prom at O2 City Hall Newcastle.
The choir originally rehearsed at Springfield School before moving to Monkton Methodist Church. During its three decades Bede Chorus has built-up a library of music of Northumbria, recorded as ‘North Countrie Music’.
Due to falling numbers following the Covid pandemic it was decided in March this year to move the choir to Gosforth, a move which has led to membership doubling. The singers now meet on alternate Tuesday evenings in the Tyne Hall at Trinity Church, Gosforth, at 7.15pm and are very fortunate to have the services of Peter Waugh as accompanist.
The anniversary concert – the first for the expanded choir – is being held at Trinity Church on Saturday September 23 at 7pm. It also features special guests Jessica Yang (violin) and Asa Lam (cello) – both church members – and Bede Wind flautist Sarah Peterson, who got married at the weekend!
Admission is by ticket and we anticipate a good attendance, so please do not wait too long to buy one. Tickets are on sale from the church office, Ray Mackintosh and choir members.
On Friday October 6 at 7.30pm Bede Chorus will be performing with Bede Wind for the 24th year in the Whitburn Prom at Whitburn Parish Church, South Tyneside, where we have always enjoyed great support.
Following Whitburn, the choir will again take part in the Daft as a Brush Proms at O2 City Hall Newcastle on Saturday October 21 at 7pm with Bede Wind. Guest artistes will be Leader Emeritus of the Royal Northern Sinfonia Bradley Creswick, opera stars Charlotte Potter from Teesside and Patrick Owston from London, and the Newcastle Dance School.
Once again the compere will be Ray Spencer, Executive Director of the Customs House Theatre, South Shields, and tickets are available from Daft as a Brush or the O2 City Hall.
The band and choir’s final joint event of the year will be our Christmas Concert at Trinity Church, Gosforth, on Saturday December 16 at 7pm and the following evening (17th) Bede Chorus will be assisting in the Carol Service at Trinity.
I look forward to seeing you at our concerts this year.
Bede Wind 