A TEENAGE singer from South Tyneside is preparing to make her solo debut in a classical concert.
Sarah Ryan has been chosen to sing the Pie Jesu solo during a performance of Durufle’s Requiem, which will also feature the Durham Singers, next month.
The event, on March 24, at Brancepath Church in Durham, will be the first time the 18-year-old mezzo-soprano from Mill Lane, Hebburn, has performed as a soloist in a classical concert.
She will be accompanied by cellist Deborah Thorne and Durham Cathedral sub-organist Francesca Massey.
Sarah said: “I love singing the Pie Jesu and I’m really looking forward to performing it with the Durham Singers as part of the complete work.”
Sarah began singing at the age of four, singing pop and theatre songs, before moving into classical music after a successful audition to join the Sage Gateshead’s prestigious Young Musicians Programme, where she studies under the guidance of Miranda Wright.
Last year, she made her first appearance at two of the North East’s major music festivals – Ryton and Saltburn – winning awards in several categories, including Singer of the Year at Ryton. She has taken part in a number of charity shows and also sang at the Christmas lights switch on in South Shields.
Sarah will be joined in the Durufle Requiem by Durham University student baritone Ben Craw.
Musical Director of the Durham Singers, Julian Wright, said: “Sarah has an extraordinary natural mezzo-soprano voice. It’s radiant, powerful, and full of richness. It’s such a privilege for us to work with young voices like those of Sarah and Ben.
The Durham Singers are a chamber choir who perform music from the Renaissance to the twenty-first century.
The performance will come only days after the teenager performs at Bowes Museum.
That concert, being held on March 17, will feature songs performed by singers under the guidance of Miranda Wright.
Tickets for the performance at Brancepath Church, which starts at 7.30pm, are priced £12 (£10 for concessions) and are available from Durham Gala Theatre on 332 4041 or visiting www.galadurham.co.uk
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