‘This is a lifelong dream,” says 32-year-old Grammy nominated singer-songwriter-producer Jordan Rakei, with the Royal Northern Sinfonia behind him. Performing with an orchestra has been his ambition since he started sampling strings over beats in his bedroom when he was 12, he says. Proms Gateshead makes such moments happen. Now in its second weekend residency in the north-east, the festival again seeks to widen the Proms remit and broaden its appeal.
It’s certainly hard to think of many better ways of bringing live orchestral music to a younger audience than the epic Fantasy, Myths and Legends. Together with the mostly under-30 Voices of the River’s Edge choir, RNS perform rousing renditions of themes from the likes of Harry Potter, Star Wars and World of Warcraft. With tickets only £8, the main hall is packed with a rapturous audience, which presenter Ali Plumb amusingly – but inaccurately – describes as “gamers, wand-wavers and quidditch champions”.
