Recently I traveled for the first time to Newcastle and Gateshead and near the River Tyne, just in front of the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, you can find The Sage Gateshead which is an impressive edifice and a center for performances, musical education and conferences, built by Sir Norman Foster and Mott MacDonald. It has the best in acoustic performance, and sustainable architecture and besides the usual concert and conference activities, in this magnificent space you can also see soundchecks, rehearsals and workshops in progress.

You can find inside a striking public library that focuses mainly on music with technological equipment, stocking books, a CD library with listening stations, current music magazines and computers with free internet access, subscriptions to music websites, music software and midi controllers, so you can borrow music books and scores, learn and compose using music software, or even find a music tutor in North East England.

It is open 7 days a week and this year’s upcoming performances will include: Bon Iver, Roots Manuva, Eddi Reader, Brad Mehldau Trio, Elbow, Michelle Shocked and Herbie Hancock. The Ticket Office telephone is: 0191 443 4661.