Music and theatre across Durham for the week March 18-24 2019
There are live music concerts throughout this week to fit most musical tastes, as well as theatre and comedy productions to keep you entertained.
As usual, ExplorAR has put together a roundup of some of the best theatre and live music taking place across the city. Whether you're after a free lunchtime classical concert or a way to spend an evening, have a look through and see what Durham events takes your eye for the week of March 18-24 2019.
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#1: Danni Nicholls, Durham Old Laundrette
Danni Nicholls is a UK Americana singer-songwriter, whose album 'The Melted Morning' has been described as 'a polished dark gem coming from the bottom of the heart' by Americana UK.
It's on Sunday March 24 at 7pm and tickets cost £14 plus £1.40 booking fee. You can purchase Danni Nicholls tickets* from the official booking page.
#2: Kathryn Tickell and The Darkening, Durham Gala Theatre
Kathryn Tickell is one of the most famous names in the world of folk music and especially in Northumbrian pipes. Here, she brings to life some of the ancient kingdom of Northumbria's music to life with the help of musicians from Northumberland, Scotland, Ireland and England, playing pipes, accordion and mandolin.
Kathryn Tickell and The Darkening perform at the Durham Gala Theatre on Thursday March 21 at 7.30pm.
Tickets cost £17.50 and are available from the Gala booking page.
Read next: Free events in Durham this week
#3: Crooners, Durham Gala Theatre
A musical described as a 'rip roaring comedy', Crooners follows the fortunes of three men who, facing a changing modern world, try to stay suave, self-assured, stylish - the values of the crooner.
Featuring the nine-piece The Mini Big Band, Crooners features songs from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Matt Monro, Nat King Cole and Bobby Darin.
Crooners takes place at the Durham Gala Theatre on Friday March 22 at 7.30pm.
Tickets cost £22.50 (£20 concessions) and are available from the Gala booking page.
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#4: Ushaw organ recital: Roger Muttitt
A free daytime concert featuring some fantastic organ music. Roger Muttitt, Director of Music at St Chad’s College, Durham and Head of Music at Durham School, will be playing an organ recital in St Cuthbert’s Chapel, Ushaw College. He'll be playing Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor BWV 582 by J.S. Bach; Chorale No. 2 in B minor by César Franck, and variations on ‘America’ by Charles Ives.
The Ushaw organ recital takes place on Saturday March 23 at 2pm in St Cuthbert’s Chapel, Ushaw College. It's free to attend and there will be a retiring collection.
#5: Miss Julie, Durham Gala Theatre
Exploring issues of sex and class, Miss Julie is set at Midsummer Night in an old manor house in the North East, at a party where servants and masters are equal. The lord's daughter, Miss Julie, strays into the servant’s quarters in search of the head butler, Jean. As the two play with fire, their mutual attraction drives them together with fatal consequences.
Miss Julie takes place on Saturday March 23 at 7.30pm at the Durham Gala Theatre, performed by Elysium Theatre Company.
Tickets cost £15 (£13 concession), £12 Gala Members and £10 Durham Student Theatre Members, and are available from the Gala booking page.
Read next: Durham Cathedral events throughout the month
#6: A Cappella Spring Concert, Durham Castle
An evening of a cappella delights in Durham Castle Great Hall, featuring Durham Dynamics and Northern Lights. It's on Monday March 18 at 7.45pm.
Tickets cost £8, concessions £6.50, Music Durham members £6, and are available from the Music Durham site.
#7: Chamber Groups, Durham University music department
One of the free lunchtime concerts at Durham University's music department on College Green next to Durham Cathedral, this time it's the turn of two quartets: Divinity Quintet, a chamber group made up of members from across a range of year groups and degree subjects at Durham University, and No Treble, courtesy of the newly-founded Chamber Music Society.
The free Durham lunchtime concert is on Wednesday March 20 from 1.15-2pm.
Read next: Durham family events March 18-24
#8: Classical Ensemble Concert, St Oswald's Church
St Oswald's Church on Church Street plays host to the Durham University Classical Ensemble (DUCE), who will be playing works by Mozart, Beethoven and Bach, with soloists Becky Taylor and Millie Harding.
The Classical Ensemble Concert takes place on Thursday March 21 at 7.30pm until 9.45pm.
Tickets cost £8, concessions £5, Music Durham members £4, and are available from the Music Durham site.
#9: Sam Carter, Witham Theatre
Guitarist and songwriter Sam Carter was named Best Newcomer at the 2010 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, and has also appeared on Later...with Jools Holland.
Sam Carter is playing at the Witham Theatre in Barnard Castle on Saturday March 23 at 8pm.
Tickets cost £13 advance, £15 on the door, and are available from the booking site.
#10: St Cuthberts Festival, Durham Cathedral
From Wednesday March 20 to Saturday March 23, Durham Cathedral is holding a series of events to mark the St Cuthberts Festival. As well as events such as the St Cuthberts Procession, there are also musical events. You can see the full range of events on our St Cuthberts Festival page.
#11: Tchaikovsky violin concerto, Ushaw College
Another excellent free concert at Ushaw College, the Cobweb Orchestra plays Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto, and is joined by Fenella Humphreys, winner of the 2018 BBC Music Magazine Instrumental Award.
This Ushaw College concert takes place on Sunday March 24 at 2pm, and is free (there is a retiring collection).
Image credit: AlexD (CC BY-SA 3.0)