Generations
Generations : 20th November 2010, St. Nicholas' Cathedral, Newcastle upon Tyne
Generations : a concert of electronic music
Generations is a very special concert of electronic music, which will take place in St. Nicholas' Cathedral, Newcastle upon Tyne on Saturday 20th November 2010 at 1 pm.
Thomas and William Ions
Dr. Thomas Ions was appointed organ master at St. Nicholas' Cathedral in The City of Newcastle upon Tyne in the year 1834. He was just 18 years old.
Both Thomas and his brother, William, quickly established themselves as composers of some renown. Thomas compiled and contributed to a book of hymns entitled Cantica Ecclesiastica: A Complete Volume of Congregational Music, which was very popular in its day. William was more prolific, and some his works are still in use today. Indeed, one of his "preces and responses" was performed in Westminster Abbey in 2009.
Thomas Ions held the position of organ master until his untimely death at just 40 years of age in 1857. After Thomas' death, William took over as organ master and remained in the post until he retired in 1894.
Thomas was held in such high esteem by his parishioners that they erected a window in his memory which, to this day, stands behind the altar as a testament to this remarkable man.
Today : Ion
David Hughes is the Great, Great, Great Nephew of Thomas and William Ions. He's been involved in the field of electronic music for nearly thirty years and has produced seven highly acclaimed full length CDs to date, all of which have enjoyed considerable airplay around the world.
"I've been working towards this project for most of my life, ever since I first heard about Thomas and William when I was a child. We launched the Ion project in 2007 beacuse the time seemed right to explore their legacy, and to see where it might lead into the future."
The concert will feature pieces by Thomas and William Ions, re-worked using state-of-the-art modern technology and performed by Ion, accompanied by the current organ master and the full Cathedral Choir.
This concert promises to be a very special and very memorable event.