The French composer Pierre Boulez once remarked he had become a conductor because he felt there was no one who could wield the baton over his work. He may have had fewer concerns were Thomas Zehetmair at hand then. Zehetmair, musical director of The Northern Sinfonia, led a small ensemble of his players through a tightly managed rendition of Boulez’s alluring composition, Eclat. Indeed the piece calls for a conducting style entirely of its own, from fluttering hands to counting out the time on fingers. The exploration of colour and texture of the piece was magnificently underpinned by pianist Kate Thompson. The piece opened the penultimate concert of the Dreams and Ceremonies series at The Sage Gateshead; a weeklong journey through the music of the 20th century. Next up was Harrison Birtwistles’ Verses for Ensembles. The music is as much a choreography of the performers, who constantly move in a true version of musical chairs, with players even switching instruments as they progress. Birtwistle’s works are known for the intricacy of their rhythms; laid out here with pointed precision by percussionists Richard Benjafield, Greg Knowles and Cas Wolfson. The violence of the work was built up with shrieking stridency by the woodwinds. Elliott Carter’s A Mirror on which to Dwell, fronted by soprano Sarah Leonard was followed by John Woolrich’s Ulysses Awakes. The viola, normally subsumed by other instruments in symphonic works, is allowed to shine. It was a rare occasion to savour the considerable talents of violist Michael Gerrard who played with surety, depth and warmth. The concluding evening, took in the tail end of the 20th century and featured works from Simon Holt and Oliver Knussen, as well as superbly projected renditions of chamber symphonies of Thomas Ades and John Adams. The musical odyssey was brought to the present with John Casken’s Farness, set to three poems by Carol Ann Duffy. Soprano Patricia Rozario, for whom the work has been specifically written intended, extracted every ounce of emotion from the work, themed on thinking of a loved one in faraway land. Contemporary classic music has never been a crowd puller and his series proved no exception. But it was thoroughly enjoyed by dedicatees. The Sage Gateshead should be applauded for its daring dedication to contemporary music. Here’s hoping for more of the same.