The massed voices of Inspiration present

EverywhereChristmas Tonightwith Northern SinfoniaA spectacular Christmas concert featuring many seasonal favourites, all given the unique Inspiration treatment, including a fabulous tribute to the Christmas magic of Henry Mancini.

3 December 2010, The Sage GatesheadTicket office: 0191 443 4661www.thesagegateshead.org

www.inspirationuk.com

Musical Director: Gary Griffiths

Inspiration and Northern Sinfonia present

Sunday 17 July 2011Hall One at The Sage Gateshead

Your Song

Let’s All Sing TogetherAs someone who is in the audience of an Inspiration concert, you will knowhow much The Sage Gateshead believes in the power of singing and thateveryone can sing!

For less confident singers we have our ‘First Steps’ groups including Find Your Voiceand Step into Singing. Once you have found your feet, we also have ‘Next Step’singing opportunities to suit everyone’s tastes. If you prefer classical, choral singingwe have Philharmonic Voices and the newly formed, women only choir, FemmeChorale. If you would prefer something a bit different, we have our new GospelChoir, Jazz and Blues Choir and the ever popular Voicebeat. And if you’ve beenwatching The Choir that Rocks on TV, maybe In the Groove is the choir for you?

In addition to our regular, weekly choirs we alsohave our special, Sing Together choirs. These arelarge scale singing opportunities for absolutelyanyone. There are no auditions, no prior singingexperience is needed and you don’t need to beable to read music. You just have to love singingand want to give it a go. All Sing Together choirs are created to work towards a particularperformance, with a specific theme, so you canchoose to sing in all of them or just one. Therewill be a classical choir singing from January, a jazz choir in March and an Americana choir in the Summer. Check our website for details.

Last, but not least are our Join in and SingDays which are great fun and, again, are for absolutely anyone who enjoys singing!Conductor Simon Fidler will be leading twodays in 2012, one in January to blow away the post Christmas blues and the other tocelebrate the Queens Diamond Jubilee inJune. With 799 other singers and NorthernSinfonia to support you, what’s stopping you?

WelcomeWelcome to The Sage Gateshead once again for‘Your Song’, the latest Inspiration concert. Asthe title suggests, all the songs you will hear havebeen chosen by our singers. As a result, this concertproves to be a spectacular display of Inspiration’sversatility and a true reflection of all the musicalinfluences which make up the choir. You will hearclassical choral favourite Verdi’s Dies Irae alongsideFiddler on the Roof Medley, topped off by Queen’sBohemian Rhapsody. I can’t wait!

As always, I hope that today’s concert will encourage you to take part yourself.In the same way as the concert embraces all musical influences, we hope that themusic making opportunities offered by The Sage Gateshead are just as diverse.From September, you will be able to join many new classes being run by the AdultProgramme, including our new Jazz and Blues Choir, Gospel Choir and In theGroove, which will be working with pop, rock and chart repertoire. And singing isn’tthe only way you can join in! We will be running Absolute Beginners’ Ukulele, Guitarand Steel Pan sessions to give you a taste of what you could achieve if you wantedto take your interest further. And this is just the tip of an iceberg. People of all agescan get involved, just give us a call or have a look on our website.

I hope you enjoy today’s concert. I know the choir have enjoyed putting ittogether for you.

Katherine ZesersonDirector of Learning and Participation Your Song

This Elton John classic wasoriginally released in 1970 inthe US as a B-side. Due to its

popularity, it eventually replacedthe A-side ‘Take Me To The

Pilot’, becoming a hit inboth the US and

UK charts.

To find out more, visit our website at www.thesagegateshead.org or toenroll contact our ticket office on 0191 443 4661.

Sgt. Pepper’s(Beatles Opening)

Recognised as one of themost important albums in the

history of popular music,‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts

Club Band’ was one of the firstpop albums to include the

full lyrics on itsrecord sleeve.

Keeping everyoneon their toesThis term has been so much fun. The huge range of songs and styles has kept

everybody on their toes, switching from Rutter to the Beatles, from Madonna to

Verdi, in the blink of an eye. I am so proud of these singers, with their flexibility

and talent. They really do rise to anything I throw at them, embrace it, take it to

their hearts and then perform it for you. What a treat it is for me to work with

them every week.

We continue to perform in the community as well, with charity concerts and

school choir workshops. These ‘extras’ are important to us, as we take our love of

singing out of the concert hall. We are also growing in numbers too, and we are

having to move to new rehearsal venues, both in Leeds and Newcastle, as there

just isn’t enough room for us all where we are!

I hope there is something special for you in tonight’s concert. These songs have

hit a lot of nerves in rehearsal, taking singers back to times in their lives they had

not thought about for a while; this is the power of music, of whatever style.

Thank you as always for your support, on and off stage. I know a lot of singers

would not be able to sing in Inspiration if it wasn’t for the support of loved ones

at home.

Gary

Northern Sinfonia, orchestra of The Sage Gateshead, has built a distinctivereputation as a fresh thinking, versatile orchestra, performing repertoire spanningthree centuries and regularly commissioned new work.

“The Sage Gateshead has become one of the world’s most admired centresfor music and Northern Sinfonia has raised its game to match.”Richard Morrison, The Times

The orchestra’s work includes concerts, broadcasts, recordings, national andinternational touring with its Music Director Thomas Zehetmair, PrincipalConductors Simon Halsey, John Wilson and Mario Venzago and guest artists.

Northern Sinfonia regularly appears at leading venues throughout the world andappears at major festivals including a residency at the Hong Kong Festival in 2009.

Northern Sinfonia musicians are part of The Sage Gateshead’s wide rangingLearning & Participation programme, which offers opportunities for everyone to make music of all kinds, whatever their age or ability.

Projects away from the classical mainstream include working with the Pet ShopBoys at a shipyard in North East England, a concert with Sting performing brandnew orchestrations of his hits, and being invited by harpist and singer JoannaNewsom to join her UK tour launching her critically acclaimed album Ys.

CDs recorded by Northern Sinfonia at The Sage Gateshead include Sibelius’Symphonies 3 & 6 and Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto – “Thomas Zehetmair bringsthe work alive marvelously – four stars”; Brahms and Schumann – BBC Musicmagazine’s Disc of the Month, “Zehetmair’s daring success”; and Mozart PianoConcertos with Imogen Cooper – five star reviews in Classic FM magazine andThe Sunday Telegraph.

For more information visit www.thesagegateshead.org

Mark DeeksPianistMark has worked as Course Leader for Music at New College Durham since 2004, where hespecialises in performance, music theory andarranging. He holds the Diploma of the AssociatedBoard of the Royal Schools of Music in pianoteaching, and is studying for a PhD with theUniversity of Leeds, looking at National Identity,Heritage and Mythology in Rock and Metal.

Mark is Inspiration’s rehearsal pianist as well ascontributing some of their arrangements. Having played piano for more than28 years, Mark has built up a wealth of experience working as a freelanceperformer, musical director, arranger and singer-songwriter. He regularly worksas a function pianist, and his debut solo album of folk-influenced, acousticsongs was released in August 2010. Please visit www.markdeeksmusic.comor www.piano-player-newcastle.co.uk for further details.

Gary GriffithsInspiration Musical DirectorGary was educated at Wolverhampton GrammarSchool where he first started to get involved withmusic. He went on to York University to studymusic, continuing to play oboe and percussionand, of course, singing. He graduated in 1988 andstayed in York to live, working as a Songman inthe Minster Choir. With the Choir he sang in manyof the world’s great cathedrals and churches inthe USA and Europe and many of the majorconcert halls in the UK.

Whilst at university he discovered his love of musical theatre. He soon joinedYork Light Opera Society, eventually becoming their Chorus Master. He alsobecame Musical Director for Pickering Musical Society and Sing Live. It wasorchestrating ‘Annie’ for Pickering that led him to start his own business,arranging and orchestrating. Which of course eventually led to Inspiration.

On the non-musical side, Gary is an excellent cook and is also a member of the Rollercoaster Club of Great Britain.

Beatles OpeningMcCartney, Lennon and Harrison

ShineBarlow, Donald, Orange, Owen and Robson

Cry Me A RiverHamilton

Sara Morgan

If Ever I Would Leave YouLerner and Loewe

Company Tenors and Basses

One Day Like ThisGarvey

Chris Keith, Erica Morganand Company

Keeping The Dream AliveZauner, Briggs, Touchton and Strobel

Softly As I Leave YouShaper and De Vita

Patrick Love and Ensemble

Tyneside MedleyVarious

Denise Saunders, Mike Humble and Company

Like A PrayerMadonna

Kirsten Walton, Denise Saunders,Lorna Taylor, Bryony Cufflin, SuzanneWilliams, Sara Morgan and Company

Bohemian RhapsodyMercury

Battle Hymn Of The RepublicHowe and Steffe

Company

Dies IraeVerdi

The Lord Is My ShepherdRutter

In TrutinaOrff

Anne Marie Gardener

Fiddler On T he Roof MedleyBock and Harnick

Conquest Of ParadiseVangelis

Orinoco FlowEnya and Ryan

Company Sopranos and Altos

This Is The MomentWildhorn and Bricusse

Chris Keith

For As Long As I Have MusicBesig

The Winner Takes it AllAndersson and Ulvaeus

Sara Morgan with Denise Saundersand Kirsten Walton

I Have A DreamAndersson and Ulvaeus

Your Song/It Was Your SongJohn, Taupin and Brooks

Beatles MedleyMcCartney, Lennon

Your SongPart one Part two

EnsembleSoprano 1Anne Marie Gardener, Fiona Jones, Rachel Hill,

Eileen Dougherty, Helen Sidaway, Hayley Llandro

and Anna Nardini

Soprano 2Sara Morgan, Cath McNaught, Suzanne Williams,

Jill Parkin, Dawn Ritch, Becky Dunn, Collette Brady,

Helen Pryor, Mallory Smith, Sue Mitchell,

Rose Goldie and Jill Hardman

Alto 1Denise Saunders, Kirsten Walton, Judith Platt,

Pat O’Connor, Anjanette Berrie, Lorna Taylor,

Christine Gardner and Jane Ormston

Alto 2Helen Pearce, Emma Goldie, Laura Straker,

Andria Moffatt, Patsy Millen, Hilary Dobson,

Ann Kaiser, Susie McKeag and Katherine Saunders

TenorErica Morgan, Tony Fox, Chris Keith,

Steve Duncan, Bryony Cufflin, Barney Coyle

and David Dick

BassPeter Berrie, Oliver Barnsley, Mike Humble,

Jeffrey Dougherty, Elliott Ward, James McCoy

and Donald Bradford

Conquest Of ParadiseVangelis’ ‘Conquest Of

Paradise’ is taken from RidleyScott’s epic 1992 film of the samename. Starring Gérard Depardieu

it tells the story of Columbus’discovery of the New World

and its effect on theindigenous people.

Bohemian RhapsodyReleased in 1975, this Queen

classic is unique in that it doesnot include a chorus. Instead thesong consists of six sections, withabrupt changes in style, tone and

tempo. It also includes over120 vocal tracks layered

together using a 24 tracktape machine.

Inspiration teamJudith ThompsonJudith has been working with Gary and Inspiration sinceits conception and has worked with Gary for over eightyears! She is vocal coach for the soloists and occasionallydeputises for Gary. Judith also designs the lighting forthe Inspiration concerts both in Gateshead and Leeds.Judith says, “It’s really wonderful to perform and workwith everyone in Inspiration. To sing at The SageGateshead with Northern Sinfonia, and be part of theconcerts in Leeds, is so exciting and rewarding. I alsoconsider it a privilege and honour to work alongsideGary, who is a truly Inspirational man”.

Sue MitchellIt is always a satisfying feeling on concert day wheneverything ‘ works’ and we have relaxed yet excitedsingers ready to perform their hearts out. There is muchplanning and organising to do behind the scenes withInspiration for concert day, for charity concerts and, ofcourse, future trips. Organising Inspiration is hard workbut very rewarding, especially when a plan comestogether. We’ve been working hard in the last few monthson our next venture performing at Edinburgh Festival in2012. Accommodation for 300 during Edinburgh’s busiestmonth of the year… now that is a challenge!

Mallory SmithMallory is the other half of the ‘Sue ‘n’ Mal’ team, takingregisters, answering queries and keeping the singers inthe loop of what needs to happen to ensure we have300 plus smiling faces on concert day!

So this term we have a new rehearsal venue to try out,singers’ voting forms to collect, application forms fornext year’s exciting trip to Edinburgh to collect… oh andI nearly forgot… quite a few words and music for a lot ofbrand new songs to learn for this concert! You’ll hear foryourself if we’ve succeeded – it should be great!

Cliff LeeSigned Song InterpreterCliff is an experienced BSL communicator whohas worked with The Sage Gateshead since 2004.Amongst other projects, Cliff has set up severalsigned song choirs within the North East. Healso runs courses for teachers and other trainersand facilitates Sign Song workshops acrossthe community.

Cliff holds a BSL Level 3 certificate, and has justcompleted a teaching degree. In his spare time heis learning to play the piano and enjoys nothingmore than looking after his twin grandsons.

Cliff has been working with Inspiration since they started in 2009. He lovesworking with the choir and is looking forward to introducing more people tothe joy of song through the beauty of sign language.

Charlie Charlton NarratorCharlie Charlton is co-presenter of BBC Newcastle’sBreakfast Show, weekdays from 6.30 – 10am.Charlie has been with BBC Newcastle for sevenyears and is an experienced broadcast journalist.

Born in Gateshead, Charlie studied Philosophy atUniversity College London, then after starting hercareer in media, she studied Broadcast Journalismat the London College of Printing.

Charlie then headed back to the North East andworked as a freelance journalist in various placesincluding Metro Radio and then onto BBC Newcastle, where she has worked as an investigative reporter, producer, news reader and as a travel reporter. Shehas also reported for the World Service and 6Music. Aside from radio, Charliepresents the lunchtime and evening television news for BBC Look North.

Charlie lives in Gateshead and has hosted many large music and charity events in the region. She is also patron of a charity in Newcastle for disabled childrenand their families. Charlie has always been passionate about live music – whetherplaying in orchestras, singing in choirs or playing in bands whilst growing up, to being an avid gig and festival-goer. She has also hosted various events at The Sage Gateshead including their 5th birthday celebrations.

Our singersLynn AdamsonKi AngleseaRay AngleseaLouise AntonsAngela ApplebyBarbara ArmstrongRuth AskeyCathryn AtkinsonBarbara BainbridgeFreda BarberSue BarnesOliver BarnsleyKim BarryAnne BartleMoira BellLindsay BellwoodAnjanette BerriePeter BerrieKaren BlenkinsopMargaret BolamEmma BosomworthDonald BradfordJoan BradfordCollette BradyPeter BroughamWinifred BrownTrish BryansDiana BuchanLiz BuchanGloria CainCarol CapaldiElizabeth CarrMaureen CarraharSheila CarruthersClaire ClarkeRachel ClokeSimon CoatsworthElaine ColquhounBarney CoyleLorraine CraigSusan CraigsMargaret CriddleLinda CruickshankBryony CufflinSharon DalbyPatricia DavidsonMark DaviesTim DeveauxDavid DickElizabeth DinningRoger DinningSusan Dinning

Colin DobsonHilary DobsonIrene DolanAudrey DonaldsonEileen DoughertyJeffrey DoughertySusan DoveAileen DrummondLinda DuckworthLyall DuffusSteve DuncanBecky DunnEva EdenMandy ElkinAnn EllisMavis EmersonJohn EmmersonGlynis EvansJennifer FalconerJean FalkousJoanne FawcettCarolyn FentonHeather ForsterTracey FoskettTony FoxVivien FrazerAnne Marie GardenerChristine GardnerEvelyn GardnerWilliam GardnerAlison GeorgeJoyce GibsonJudith GibsonElaine GiffordMaureen GilroySandie GinksBob GladwinEmma GoldieRose GoldieBrenda GrahamDavid GrahamJane GreenshieldsJean GreenwoodDorothy GregoryAlison GriffinJeannie GriffinClare HaganMargot HaighCynthia HallVivienne HallPauline HankinsonJill Hanna

Jill HardmanLeila HarrisLesley HehirGerald HendersonElizabeth HewettRachel HillCarol HindhaughAlan HobsonJulie HobsonJudith HodsonPeter HollandDawn HolmesHelen HolmesPeter HopkinsJoy HoughtonJoanne HullNancy HullMichael HumbleJean HumphreyIrene HutchinsonHelen JarvisHelen JeffersonAngela JesneyNicola JohnsonTrudy JohnsonFiona JonesGrenville JonesAnn KaiserAlex KeanChristopher KeithSheila KendallTony KennanPatricia KiddSheila KimberSusan KnottKaren KnoxLiz KreibichJean LatimerAlyson LawsAlice LeaverGill LiskHayley LlandroDenise LodgePatrick LoveWendy LowdonPatricia LoweryBilly LowtherNorma LukeAnne LyonDebbie MacQueenBarbara MasonPeter Masterson

Anne MaughanSue McCarthyLiz McCoullJames McCoyGlynis McGlenDorothy McGuinessSusannah McKeagIrene McLaneRachel McMurrayCatherine McNaughtAnna MeikleAndrew MellonSue MellonPatsy MillenSheila MillenElaine MillsSue MitchellAndria MoffattChristine MonksErica MorganJenny MorganSara MorganSue MorganGeorge MossopJan MoyesVivienne MuirNicola MulgrewJanice MylroiAnna NardiniAnne NoblePatricia O’ConnorLou OkelloCate O’NeillJames OrangeJane OrmstonHeather PageRachel ParkMonica ParkerDerek ParkinJill ParkinPam PattersonRon PattersonHelen PearceValerie PickeringRichard PickersgillChristina PinderJeffrey PlattJudith PlattSheila PlattSheila PriceLynne PringleAnnie Proud

Helen PryorDorothy RaeSandra ReayElizabeth RegnardJanet RichardsonAlison RiggDawn RitchKathy RobertsLynn RobinsonBarbara RoperFiona RoutledgePat RoxboroughAlison RussellDenise SaundersKatherine SaundersVeronica SchubelerLorraine ScottMargaret Scullion

Verity ShepleyPauline SibbaldHelen SidawayCharlie SlaterBeatrice SmithCatherine SmithHelen SmithJudy SmithMallory SmithMaureen SmithLiz SolomanJane SpeakMargaret SpeddingAnn StephensonLaura StrakerRichard StrakerHelen SwalesSandra Swinburn

Lesley TanneyLorna TaylorHilary TemperleyStephen TemperleyPauline ThirlawayJoanna ThompsonJudith ThompsonJulie ThompsonNorman ThompsonDaphne ThorntonSakeenat TijaniPamela TomlinsonBrenda TonksRebecca TrevarrowJill TurnbullMaddy UptonSheila UrwinJennifer Wade

Heather WalkerSusanne WalkerBronwyn WaltonKirsten WaltonElliott WardSarah WatlingMarie WaughKate WelfordMary WellingtonAnne WemyssMerle WhiteClaire WhitfieldAnnie WilksSuzanne WilliamsSarah WinthropAnne WoodElaine Woolcock

Keeping The Dream AliveDespite selling millions of

albums throughout Europe‘Keeping The Dream Alive’ isGerman pop and rock band

Münchener Freiheit’s only hitin the UK, reachingnumber 14 in 1988.

Fiddler On The RoofWith over 3,000 performances

‘Fiddler On The Roof’ wasBroadway’s longest running

show, until it was surpassed byGrease. Nearly fifty years afteropening it is still Broadway’sfourteenth longest-running

show ever.

Programme designed by Penny Wilson E: pw@penny-wilson.co.ukProgramme printed by Potts Print (UK) Ltd www.potts.co.ukPictures courtesy of Mark Savage, Sally Baitch, Rayburn Tours (Francesca Bridges)and Yorkshire Post Newspapers.

Thanks to…Special thanks as always to everyone whohelps with the smooth running of Inspiration.To Sue and Mal (and all their team of helpers),Mark (where would we be without him?), Judith,Chris, Penny, and especially to Sally, Katherine, Craigand all at The Sage Gateshead for their continued support.

North Music Trust is registered in England as a company limited by guarantee, number 4044936 and as a charity, number 1087445.

LyricsI Have A DreamI have a dream, a song to singTo help me cope with anythingIf you see the wonder of a fairy taleYou can take the future even if you failI believe in angels, something good in everything I seeI believe in angels, when I know the time is right for meI’ll cross the streamI have a dreamI have a dream, a fantasyTo help me through realityAnd my destination makes it worth the whilePushing through the darkness still another mileI believe in angels, something good in everything I seeI believe in angels, when I know the time is right for meI’ll cross the streamI have a dreamI’ll cross the streamI have a dream

Dies IraeVerdi’s Requiem was

composed in memory of Italianpoet and novelist AlessandroManzoni, whom Verdi much

admired. It was first performedin 1874 to mark thefirst anniversary ofManzoni’s death.