Page 474 - Guildhall Coverage Book 2020-21

including performing chamber music with musicians from the orchestra. But there is also the feeling
that the orchestra wanted to try something different.
Another strand to Dinis' experience is his period performance practice and his three years working
with Sir John Eliot Gardiner. This experience is part of Dinis' identity, you can't separate who he is.
When he was a child he enjoyed listening to Gardiner's recordings and loved the sound world. And
one of the things he enjoys about RNS is the orchestra's interest in and awareness of period style.

Sir John Eliot Gardiner and Dinis Sousa

Inevitably, the strange times we live in have affected Dinis' plans for his work with RNS. He does
have big ideas, but planning complete symphonic cycles is difficult at the moment. He and the
orchestra are planning things in small sections, though there are things that he would like to do in
the longer term. He has an interest in working intensively on music from a particular era, not just
Classical but the music of later periods and, of course, Baroque.

There is also the interest in working to expand RNS' reach, to create large-scale, meaningful
outreach. One idea of what form this might take is the orchestra's The People's Requiem project,
where Dinis will conduct a performance of Verdi's Requiem with the combined forces of Royal
Northern Sinfonia, the chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia and experienced adult amateur orchestral
players and choral singers from across the North East.

This has been popular, applications have now closed and Dinis comments that so many people
wanted to be involved. He wants to bring together large communities, both music lovers and those
who have never heard an orchestra, and he regards the orchestra as being there for the whole
region, a tool for everyone.

Dinis' experience of outreach and community work has not been on this scale before, he comments
that Sage Gateshead is the centre of a community, a gathering-place and music learning. So much