In the 250th anniversary of the death of Handel what better way to mark his legacy than putting on his personal favourite - the oratorio Theodora. It may not have been popular with 18th century audiences, but has enjoyed a renaissance of late. The Northern Sinfonia and Chorus, conducted by Nicholas Kraemer and fronted by a solid cast of primaries, staged a sterling production at The Sage Gateshead.

Depicting the religious persecutions of the Roman empire, the oratorio deals with themes of intolerance and matrydom.

Valens who calls for sacrifice to honour Diocletian was played by Paul Whelan, who had a voice to match his towering frame. Countertenor Iestyn Davies, who played the closet Christian Didymus, gave a compelling performance with the coloratura conveyed with exuberant ease. One of the many highlights was his rendition of The Raptur’d Soul defies the sword. Davies was equally matched by Carolyn Sampson, who projected the full drama of Theodora’s plight; damned to a fate worse than death, as a prostitute. A comical touch was added by the messenger who was dressed in Royal Mail colours - prompting one to think it was fortunate the royal missive made it at all. Rather than standing in conventional ranks, the chorus was ranged across the top of the first balcony, which graphically illustrating the sonic parts of Handel’s score. Their delivery of He Saw the Lovely Youth was glorious. Mezzo soprano Susan Bickley as Irene and James Gilchrist as Septimius, injected heartfelt feeling into their roles. Overall, the diction was clear; which was as well because the dim lighting precluded anyone following the libretto on the programme notes. Drusilla Harrison’s direction was minimalist but effective; her dancers adding rather than detracting from the action. Rounded off with responsive and sympathetic playing from the Sinfonia, the production was perfectly meshed, making the three hours duration an entirely pleasurable experience.