Events and Classes
Art, Literature and Music
Thursday 17th May 3.00pm - FREE guided tour, reserve a place.
Friday 18th May 2.00pm - FREE guided tour, reserve a place.
Friday 18th May 8.00pm Jazz North East present Deco Heart - Lucien Ben and Mat Maneri. This will be the fifth time Mat has played in the North East, and he's built quite a Tyneside fan base for playing that combines the most advanced microtonal techniques with deep roots in the jazz tradition - there are times when he swings as powerfully as any jazz fiddler of the past. Lucian proved to be a revelation at his superb Sage gig. Classically trained, he has been described as "playing with a sensibility and fluency that recalls Vladimir Horowitz as much as McCoy Tyner", but that hardly does justice to the freewheeling scope of his musical imagination. £10/8 please pay on the door.
Saturday 19th May 7.00-11.00pm The Late Shows Art and books collide at the Lit & Phil with The Book Apothecary: a Travelling Museum of Artist Books. The museum is housed in a series of reclaimed suitcases and, especially for the late shows, new artworks will be placed amongst the library's books. The exhibition will include work by Stevie Ronnie & Susannah Pickering, Theresa Easton, Sheree Angela Matthews and Dawn Felicia Knox. FREE
Tuesday 22nd May 6.00pm £4/£2
The Development of the Sierra Leone National Railway Museum
Steve Davies discusses how he established one of Sierra Leone’s principal cultural attractions in Freetown in 2004/5, in the immediate aftermath of the brutal civil war.
Wednesday 23rd May 2 - 4pm £1
The Newcastle Speakers Club are hosting a taster session exclusively for Lit & Phil members.
The Speakers Club aims to help members improve their confidence and competence in communicating effectively in formal and social situations. They provide members with individual advice and guidance, appropriate educational materials, and opportunities to practice the preparation and delivery of speeches before an audience. Members are encouraged to develop their knowledge of and competence in applying the rules and best practice in business procedure, chairmanship of meetings and group discussions. In turn, the Speakers Club will recognise and reward the progress of members towards excellence, in order to encourage them towards further achievement.
Please come along, with no obligation to join the Club, for a fun and interesting afternoon.
Wednesday 23rd May 6.00pm FREE
Dickens and the Supernatural
Dr Gail-Nina Anderson | 20 places only
Tuesday 29th May 7.30pm Concert: The Benedict Biscop Gregorian Choir present Bede: a glimpse of his life in readings and chant. Tickets: £5
Thursday 31st May 6.00pm FREE
The Three Queens: Creating the Image of Female Royalty
Dr Gail-Nina Anderson
Wednesday 6th June 1.10pm Lunchtime Piano Recital - Ian Logan Wynne
Ian is in his final year of a music degree at Birmingham Conservatoire. Recent performances have included Poulenc’s Sextet for piano and winds and Ravel’s piano concerto in G major at the Adrian Boult Hall Birmingham, Milhaud’s La creation du monde with the CBSO Youth Orchestra at Town Hall Birmingham. In 2011 Ian was awarded a scholarship to take part in the Birmingham International Piano Academy held at the Conservatoire. Ian will continue his studies next year in a Masters degree at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
PROGRAMME: Shostakovich’s Prelude and Fugue no.7 in A Major; Beethoven’s Eroica Variations; Rachmaninov's transcription of Mendelssohn's Scherzo from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Tickets: FREE
Thursday 7th June 6.00pm Time for Happiness workshop. A one hour presentation and discussion with life coaches Paul Hemphill and Jan Etoile FREE
Tuesday 12th June 6pm Die Walkure: a lecture by David Stannard
Die Walkure is the second drama in Richard Wagner’s operatic Ring Cycle The Ring of the Nibelung. A ‘semi-staged’ performance is to be given by Opera North on Saturday 23 June at the Sage. As a ‘pre-taster’, David Stannard is to dip into this great work – the Ride of the Valkyries is the most famous part – packing much into a short time and covering leitmotifs, instrumentation and the breathtaking opening and close of opera. Examples will be by piano and CD.
Tickets: FREE
Wednesday 13th June 7.30pm The Blaydon Aces - Local dialect songs
Roly Veitch (vocals, guitar, banjo) and James Birkett (guitar, banjo).
There may be no better indicator of the inherent character of a region than the way its inhabitants speak. Over the centuries our dialect has been encapsulated in a remarkable tradition of songs. They give insight into the region's social and economic history, its humour, its perspective on life and the full range of emotions experienced. It is a key part of our heritage and a precious legacy.
Together they perform an extensive repertoire from this tradition, including giving out some information about the songs, the composers, the history. The essence of their style can be summed up as unforced, intimate, natural and warm. Each song accompanied by Roly's innovative arrangements for voice + two guitars or, occasionally, guitar + tenor banjo.
For more info please visit Roly's website
Tickets: £6/5 (concs)
Tuesday 19th June 7.00pm Summer Phantoms at the Phil
Prepare to be scared by David Almond, Gail-Nina Anderson and Sean O'Brien.
£5/3
Wednesday 20th June 7.00pm Pecha Kucha event with Sheree Mack FREE
Saturday 23rd June 7pm The Sage Gateshead's Weekend School Concert
This promises to be a delightful concert of instrumental and vocal music performed by the young musicians of The Sage Gateshead’s Weekend School.
Tickets: £3
Tuesday 26th June 6pm Sorabji: an introductory lecture by Sean McMenamin.
Sean discusses the life and work of English composer, music critic, pianist, and writer Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji. FREE
Saturday 14th July 7.30pm Summer Charity Concert with Hannabiell & Midnight Blue | Nathalie Stern with Ben Harrison | The Long Lonesome Go
For full details please visit the Music Page
Tickets: £6/5 (concs) All proceeds go to the Lit and Phil Appeal
To reserve your seat:
Please reserve your seat by calling (0191) 232 0192, emailing library@litandphil.org.uk or by calling in.
If you reserve a ticket and are subsequently unable to attend, please let us know as we often have a waiting list. Thank you.
In addition to the events listed here, there will be more events added to the list throughout the year. Please check here or in the library for details.