Sting takes Durham Cathedral worldwide

A spectacular concert by North East superstar Sting is to reveal Durham Cathedral to a worldwide television audience tonight (Thursday 26 November).

The music and light show, which transformed the Cathedral in the autumn, will be screened to a massive American national network audience on Thanksgiving Day.

Leading US broadcaster PBS is scheduling the show, which features Sting accompanied by an ensemble of 35 traditional folk and concert musicians, as families celebrate the country’s main public holiday.

And it will then be broadcast in another 14 countries over the coming months, including the UK on BBC1 over Christmas.

Anne Heywood, Chapter Steward at Durham Cathedral, said: “We were absolutely delighted to welcome Sting to the Cathedral to record his quite spectacular concert and light show.

“We recognised that this was a wonderful opportunity to showcase Durham and the Cathedral to a worldwide television audience of hundreds of millions and we hope that it will persuade people to come and visit us in person in the future,” she said.

Melanie Sensicle, chief executive of Visit County Durham, said: “Sting’s concert shows that major international artists are keen to work in Durham and draw inspiration from our beautiful buildings and magical settings.

“As well as highlighting our capacity to stage major events, it raises the profile of Durham as a cultural centre and gives a tantalising glimpse of what we have to offer to a global audience of quite breathtaking proportions,” she said.

The Cathedral concert coincided with the release of Sting’s new ‘If on a Winter’s Night’ album of winter songs, lullabies and traditional music. Find out more at www.sting.com