Tippett’s A Child of Our Time
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Universal. Spiritual. A message for all times.
Who’s on stage
Wow, have we got a packed stage for you tonight! Making the afternoon extra epic are singers and musicians from right across the North East, sharing the stage with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Chorus, and a superb line-up of soloists.
What they’re playing
They’re all coming together for Michael Tippett’s A Child of Our Time. This moving piece was written at the dawn of World War II and confronts us with profound questions about our humanity.
Need to know
Price: £19 – £46
Discounts: save if you’re under 17, aged 18 – 30, a classical first timer, or a group of 10 or more people. Check the details.
Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes, no interval.
Age: under 14s must be accompanied by an adult.
This performance will be British Sign Language interpreted.
Can’t make it along? This concert will be streamed live to YouTube
What you'll hear
Michael Tippett A Child of Our Time (75’)
Who's playing
Dinis Sousa conductor
Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha soprano
Sarah Connolly mezzo-soprano
Nicky Spence tenor
Willard White bass-baritone
Tim Burke chorus director
Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia
Royal Northern Sinfonia
Massed Musical Forces of the North East
Richard Jackson British Sign Language interpreter
What's happening in the music?
Moving and sublime, Michael Tippett’s A Child of Our Time has come to be seen as one of the twentieth century’s masterpieces. Tippett uses a whole load of influences in his music, most famously African American spirituals, underlining the universality of its message, and giving what could be a very dark afternoon of music a strong underlying note of hope and unity.
Sharing the stage
As part of our Share the Stage project, musicians and vocalists from across the North East join us, underlining the epic scope of the piece and its universal message. Perhaps there’ll be someone you know performing?
A Child of Our Time is kindly supported by Michael & Helen McArdle CBE.
Get a feel for the music
Here’s one of the five African-American spirituals featured in A Child of Our Time, ‘Go down, Moses’, performed by Berlin Philharmonic and Rundfunkchor Berlin.
