The Sage Gateshead, home to the Brass in Concert Championships is now to be known as The Glasshouse International Centre for Music.
The decision was taken after it emerged that new arena and conference facilities venues next to the building on Gateshead Quay were to be named after the multinational Sage Group software company.
Change
Speaking to the BBC, Abigail Pogson, Managing Director of the Glasshouse, said: "When we knew that was happening we decided that we needed to change our name to create a difference between ourselves as a charity and them as a big multinational firm."
The charity that runs the venue had asked the public for different names with the winning entry picked as "people were telling us was that they wanted to reflect music, they wanted to reflect warmth, they wanted to reflect a place where music lives and grows."
people were telling us was that they wanted to reflect music, they wanted to reflect warmth, they wanted to reflect a place where music lives and growsThe Glasshouse
Brass in Concert host
Designed by the acclaimed architects Foster & Partners, and costing £70 million, it was opened in 2004 and now welcomes over 2 million visitors and concert goers each year.
It has since become an iconic landmark — although due to its anthropomorphic shape it is also affectionately known as 'The Slug' or 'The Space Potato' — both names that were discreetly rejected for its new identity.
It has hosted the Brass in Concert Championships since 2005 — one of the most popular brass band contests in the UK.
Tickets:
Tickets for that event can be bought at:
https://theglasshouseicm.org/whats-on/46th-brass-in-concert-championship/