People in Glasshouses should not throw concerts

People in Glasshouses should not throw concerts

Orchestras

norman lebrecht

September 13, 2023

One of the best concert halls in England changed its name today.

The Sage, in Gateshead/Newcastle, was named for an early hi-tech sponsor.

It has been renamed The Glasshouse International Centre for Music.

Why?

Today this home for live music lovers reveals its new name and brand inspired by the idea that ‘Music lives and grows here’.

Abigail Pogson, Managing Director of The Glasshouse said: “Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences of live music with us to help shape this new identity. Today marks a new era, building on all that has happened over the charity’s near 20 years so far.’

 

Comments

  • pjl says:

    A wonderful acoustic; but I felt Sage Gateshead was a great name and better than the new one.

  • Emil says:

    Well, as they explain in all their communications, Sage is now sponsoring a new mall and arena right next door, which will be called…The Sage, Gateshead.

    Changing name was not a choice (well, not by the concert hall), but a necessity. Otherwise you’d have had the Sage Gateshead right next to the Sage Gateshead.

    The consultations had been ongoing for over a year, by the way.

    The new name is wordy, but “Glasshouse” is a nice name. “The Glasshouse, Gateshead” would have been perfect for my taste (at most, it sounds a bit too much like a fancy restaurant).

  • Guest says:

    Why?
    Because the new building going up beside is going to be the Sage.
    https://www.thesage.co.uk/

  • SVM says:

    Does this mean that the venue could not find sponsorship at a level commensurate with naming rights for the whole building?

  • Will says:

    It’s changing its name because a new Arena is being built next door sponsored by and named after…Sage. Given the potential confusion that would result they’ve had to change their name. No matter what you think of the new name I don’t think it can fail to be more inspiring than being named after some accounting software…

    • Maurice says:

      I’d think there will be confusion anyway, with the name moving next door. Suppose your house is Number 83, the last in a road. Someone builds a house beyond yours, calls that 83, and forcibly changes yours to 81A.

  • Kay Warbrick says:

    Why indeed. The Sage is punchier and is associated with all the success it has enjoyed so far

  • Anthony Sayer says:

    Named after, not ‘for’.

  • Guest says:

    Not to be confused with the National Glass Centre 13 miles down the road in Sunderland. I wonder where every out-of-towner visiting either is going to park when the new Sage building goes up? Bad enough already trying to get to and park near the old Sage. (The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art also in the vicinity.) The roads around already a bottleneck at peak times. If events take place simultaneously it’ll be even worse. Answer? Won’t be doing a 100 mile round trip to Concerts at the Sage/Glasshouse ever again. Could see nothing wrong with the old Newcastle Arena over the river, which the new Sage (Gateshead) is to replace. Personally, always referred to the old Sage as The Slug, and think the acoustics in Sage (now Glasshouse?) One aren’t very good for large orchestral performances.

    • Guest says:

      So much garbage in 1 paragraph. But I’ll focus on the “nothing wrong with the newcastle arena” its the worst venue I’ve ever been for live music and am over the moon its being replaced.

  • Bartok says:

    Seems a bit of an insult to this Sage fellow. Perhaps that didn’t realise “sage” means “wise”.

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