The Voices of Virtue Gospel Choir will be joining two familiar faces in Newcastle this week, when the choir perform alongside legendary Tyneside musician Sting and Jamaican reggae star Shaggy.
Sting & Shaggy’s 44/876 Tour – which follows the pair’s 2018 Grammy-winning UK Top Ten hit album – will be arriving at the O2 Academy i n Newcastle today – and the Voices of Virtue Gospel Choir will join them on stage.
However, it won’t be the first time that the choir have performed alongside the former member of The Police, who was born in Wallsend but went on to become a global music superstar.
Voices of Virtue previously sang with Sting at a fundraiser for the Graham Wylie Foundation, which included renditions of his most celebrated hits such as “Englishman in New York” and “Fields of Gold”.
The choir came to the fore during Freedom City 2017 which marked the 50th anniversary of Dr Martin Luther King receiving an honorary degree from Newcastle University, starring in “Freedom on the Tyne” and performing with Martha Reeves and the Vandellas as part of the celebrations.
Freedom City 2017 received the Journal Culture Award for best event on Tyneside and the North East. The choir worked closely with local diverse arts development charity Northern Roots who along with Newcastle University and Newcastle Gateshead Initiative were producers of the celebrations.
Voices of Virtue have also worked with Northern Roots in the delivery of the Freedom City legacy inspiring a new generation of young people with Dr King’s message in schools across Newcastle.
The choir’s upcoming performance with Sting & Shaggy is the latest chapter in the legacy of Dr King’s visit to Newcastle . Sting first met the choir on the morning of Freedom on the Tyne, taking time out of rehearsals for his musical, “The Last Ship” to talk about their work around preserving the legacy of Dr King’s visit.
Leila D’Aronville, managing director of Northern Roots, said: “Voices of Virtue Gospel Choir are delighted to have the opportunity to join Sting on stage again.
“It is a great recognition of the work we have been undertaking with the choir in spreading Dr King’s message to young people in schools across Newcastle, as well as a recognition of the tremendous talent within the choir. It’s also a great inspiration for the other artists we work with Kema Kay, Radikal Queen and Collective Identity.”
Sting & Shaggy’s 44/876 Tour will see the pair play a series of intimate shows, which began at London’s Camden Roundhouse on May 19 before dates in Newcastle, Birmingham and Manchester. It follows the pair’s 2019 Grammy success for Best Reggae Album for their collaborative UK Top Ten hit record, 44/876.
Following the tour, Sting releases his new album, ‘My Songs’, comprised of the 17-time Grammy Award winner’s most celebrated hits from his unparalleled career, each reshaped and reimagined for 2019.
Further information about the shows and tickets can be found at www.sting.com .
