City prepares to host BBC Proms for first time

Soweto Kinch will play at Sunderland's Fire Station

A city is preparing to stage the BBC Proms for the first time.

The Fire Station in Sunderland will host the jazz saxophonist Soweto Kinch later.

He will be presenting a special edition of his Radio 3 show Round Midnight, which celebrates jazz from all eras and around the globe.

Sunderland Music City head Michelle Daurat said the BBC Proms' decision to visit the city for the first time put it "firmly" on the map as a "world-class destination for music and culture".

The city became only the second in the UK to join the international Music Cities Network earlier this year.

Other guests expected at the Fire Station include jazz trumpeter Theo Croker, the band Joe Webb Trio and Newcastle-based musician Rivkala.

"There's such a breadth and diversity of expression within what we call jazz," said Kinch.

Jade performed at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Liverpool in May

On Friday pop star Jade, who found fame as part of Little Mix, will be at the Glasshouse International Centre for Music.

The South Shields-born singer will be performing songs from her upcoming solo album, alongside the Royal Northern Sinfonia, with the concert broadcast live on BBC radio.

She previously said: "The Proms is such a huge part of British music culture, and to be performing with a full orchestra - in this iconic venue, with my hometown crowd - is a dream."