JADE heads home to headline BBC Proms in the North East
The South Shields singer is set to team up with the Royal Northern Sinfonia for a one-night-only concert
Brit Award-winning artist JADE – known to millions as one-quarter of Little Mix and now carving her own path as a solo performer – is set to make her North East solo debut this July in a one-night-only collaboration with Royal Northern Sinfonia at The Glasshouse in Gateshead.
The special performance headlines a bold and wide-ranging weekend of music as BBC Proms in the North East returns from July 24 to 27.
Created in partnership with BBC Radio 1, JADE’s concert will feature material from her forthcoming debut album (due out in September), a few unexpected covers, and some fan favourites – all reimagined in orchestral form and conducted by Robert Ames. It’s set to be a homecoming wrapped in strings, brass, and high emotion for the South Shields singer.
“It means the world to me to come home to the North East for this show,” said JADE. “The BBC Proms is such a huge part of British music culture, and to be performing with a full orchestra – in this iconic venue, with my hometown crowd – is a dream.”
Royal Northern Sinfonia sits at the heart of the festival, leading large-scale classical works and genre-blending collaborations designed to showcase just how expansive orchestral music can be.
The weekend also marks a significant moment for The Glasshouse as two Proms concerts from the venue will be broadcast on BBC TV – a first for any venue outside London in Proms history.
Abigail Pogson, chief executive at The Glasshouse, said: “In our 20th year, this Proms weekend feels like a defining moment – not just for The Glasshouse, but for music in the North East.
“To welcome JADE home for a headline orchestral debut with Royal Northern Sinfonia is a standout concert in a weekend that stretches from Boulez to CBeebies - a reflection of the scale, range and ambition of what we’re doing here.
“It’s bold, inclusive and rooted in the place we’re proud to call home. That these performances will also reach national audiences through BBC broadcast makes it all the more powerful - a celebration of world-class music-making, created here in the North East and shared far beyond it.”
Other Proms across the UK include a three-day residency at Bristol Beacon and concerts at St George’s, Bristol, St George’s Hall, Bradford and Ulster Hall, Belfast.
Festivities in the North East begin on Thursday, July 24 at The Fire Station in Sunderland, with a special edition of BBC Radio 3’s Round Midnight hosted by Soweto Kinch, featuring US jazz star Theo Croker, the Joe Webb Trio and rising North East talent Rivkala.
Tamsin Austin, Venue Director at The Fire Station said: “We’re thrilled to be part of the BBC Proms’ growing regional programme and to see The Fire Station showcase such extraordinary jazz talent on a national platform.”
The following night brings JADE’s aforementioned orchestral set to The Glasshouse, followed by a packed Saturday programme that includes Angeline Morrison’s The Sorrow Songs – a reflection on the Black British experience in folk music – joined by Eliza Carthy and Alex Neilson.
Later, Dinis Sousa leads Royal Northern Sinfonia in Mendelssohn’s choral symphony Lobgesang (Hymn of Praise), performed with three choirs and soloists Hera Hyesang Park, Adèle Charvet and Benjamin Hulett.
Sunday (July 27) is a family affair, with two performances of the CBeebies Prom: Wildlife Jamboree, hosted by Chantelle Lindsay and Puja Panchkoty. Later, guitarist Sean Shibe and ensemble mark the centenary of Pierre Boulez’s birth with modernist works by Boulez, Cassandra Miller and Tyshawn Sorey.
Beyond the main stages, the Concourse stage returns with BBC Introducing across contemporary and classical styles, bringing free live music to audiences.
There will also be a BBC Young Composer workshop in collaboration with BBC Introducing on Saturday (July 26), which invites under-18s to take part in a composition workshop to develop their music with professional artists. Further information and applications via the website.
Sam Jackson, controller, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Proms, said: “The BBC Proms is committed to reaching audiences across the UK and our partnership with The Glasshouse continues to be a standout success story.
“This year’s Proms in the North East reflects the bold, inclusive and ambitious approach to programming that runs through the whole season - rooted in excellence and open to all, and proudly led by regional talent. We’re thrilled to be working with Royal Northern Sinfonia to spotlight the North East’s creativity, ambition and emerging stars on a national stage.”
Promming tickets remain just £8. Tickets for the BBC Proms at The Glasshouse are on sale now. Tickets for JADE’s one-night-only orchestral collaboration with Royal Northern Sinfonia go on sale on today (Wednesday, May 28) at noon.