The first performance at The Journal Culture Awards 2014 at Sunderland Minster offered the audience a cracking exclusive.
David Almond, the multi-award-winning author gave us a rousing flavour of the football-themed Opera For Sunderland, he has been busily writing.
Performing an extract from his libretto, David, who was also crowned Writer of the Year on the night for penning the narration to the GNR Million Opening Ceremony, was accompanied by a section of composer Marcos Fernandez’s score, which was also being heard for the first time.
Not only that, but he used the occasion to reveal the opera’s name.
MIRACLE! An Opera of Two Halves will premiere at the Minster in November and will be the culmination of years of work by charity Music in the Minster, which puts on memorable productions involving as many members of the community as possible.
For this project, they have collected stories from the people of Sunderland and will be holding open audition workshops on July 11 and 12. For full details, visit www.musicintheminster.org.uk