I work in the Classical team so I'll be part of the group managing these events and I have to say I'm looking forward to the whole weekend: Inspiration, our choir of around 300 people put on a great uplifting spectacle that the audience and singers enjoy immensely. Cliff Lee will make the afternoon performance extra special with signed song interpretation but the whole day has a great feeling of enjoyment around it: there's nothing like singing to a full Hall One.
Come & Sing Hallelujah is for those people who love singing but who may not have sung in a choir before, or who may not read music: I'm excited for them! The feeling of singing in a group is like no other; singing beautiful music together and the feeling of community is amazing, the only thing i've felt close to this is at a football match! One of my earliest memories was singing in the nativity in my first year at school: singing the same note as the people around me, the same words and the same feeling is something that will always make me smile.
Later on Sunday we'll have our Northern Sinfonia Chorus rehearsal in preparation for our concerts around the 5th Birthday of The Sage Gateshead: we're working with Alan Fearon and Simon Halsey across this period on Britten St Nicolas and our usual Christmas extravaganza with Northern Sinfonia. I sing soprano in the Chorus and the rehearsals really brighten up Sunday evenings: getting together for a good sing banishes those Sunday-night feelings and when the concert gets nearer we sound even better!
Another busy couple of weeks ahead but its impossible to feel anything but excited at this time of year...