What's On — TownHall events

• Faith in the City Expressions of belief 

  Sat 24 Jan 2009 Town Hall

  For around 750 years in Iberia, Catholics, Jews and Muslims enjoyed religious freedom, spoke each others’ languages and shared philosophies, science and cultures. It is a period known as _la convivencia_ - the co-existence. We begin to explore this concept with Bernstein’s overtly Jewish Chichester Psalms which are sung in Hebrew, the devout setting of the Mass by MacMillan and Islamic repertoire performed by Abdul Salam Kheir. _“All the lands, in their diversity, are one, and men are all neighbours and brothers”_ (Al-Zubaidi, tutor of the Andalusian Caliph, Al-Hakam II, 10th century) £30 (£27.50), £23.50 (£21), £15 (£13), £8.50 (£7) Visit Ex Cathedra's website by clicking "here":http://www.ex-cathedra.org/
  Ex Cathedra Choir *Conductor* Jeffrey Skidmore *Oud & Vocals* Abdul Salam Kheir *Chichester Psalms* Bernstein *Mass* MacMillan
  
  

• Sunday Morning Coffee Concert - Minetti Quartett  

  Sun 8 Feb 2009 Town Hall

  
  
  
  

• Nash Ensemble  

  Tue 10 Feb 2009 Town Hall

  Rarely has a composer produced a work of such effortless genius as the sixteen-year-old Mendelssohn’s _Octet_ - a miraculous stream of wonderful melody. The Nash Ensemble marks the 200th anniversary of Mendelssohn’s birth (February 1809) with a performance of this masterpiece in the hall in which the composer once played and conducted. It is heard next to the delicious Sextet from Strauss’s _Capriccio_ and the dark tragedy of Mozart’s great G minor String Quintet. 6.15pm pre-concert talk Tickets £5-£20
  
  *Strauss* Sextet (_Capriccio_) 6’ *Mozart* Quintet in G Minor, K516 33’ *Mendelssohn* Octet 38’
  

• Orchestra of the Swan: Bach's Brandenburg  

  Wed 18 Feb 2009 Town Hall

  *Handel* Concerto Grosso op6 no9 *JS Bach* Suite in b minor *JS Bach* Brandenburg concerto no4 *JS Bach* Brandenburg concerto no5 *Christine Whiffen* harpsichord *David Le Page* violin *Diane Clark* flute
  
  
  

• Britten Sinfonia at Lunch - Feb 2009  

  Thu 19 Feb 2009 Town Hall

  
  
  
  

• Central England Ensemble 'Town Hall Connections' Sibelius, Downes & Dvorak 

  Sun 1 Mar 2009 Town Hall

  Central England Ensemble presents three popular composers with strong links to Birmingham Town Hall: Dvorak conducted two of his world premieres here, The Spectre’s Bride (1885) and his Requiem (1897); Sibelius directed the British premiere of his Symphony no 4 here in 1912; Andrew Downes’ connections with the hall began as a chorister (with the CBSO under Harold Gray) and a counter-tenor soloist in the 1960s/70s, continued throughout the 1970s/80s with many performances of his Fanfare for a Ceremony at the Town Hall Open University ceremonies, and are confirmed in this concert with the world premiere of his Piano Concerto.
  
  *Central England Ensemble* *Anna Downes* Leader *Duncan Honeybourne* Piano *Anthony Bradbury* Conductor *Sibelius* Finlandia *Downes* Concerto for Piano and Symphony Orchestra (world premiere performance) *Dvorak* New World Symphony
  

• Celebrity Piano Recital: Peter Donohoe  

  Thu 5 Mar 2009 Town Hall

  Peter Donohoe’s performances are a dazzling fusion of passion, virtuosity and intellectual rigour. His recital ranges from the majesty of Bach to the superhuman demands of Liszt’s B minor Sonata. Before that come magical works by Brahms reflecting the mature wisdom of the composer’s old age and the untamed ardour of his youth. *BBC music magazine’s editor, Oliver Condy, explains why he has recommended tonight’s concert:* _"The indefatigable Peter Donohoe launches into a brave programme here - Busoni’s technically astounding transcription of one of Bach’s great organ works sits next to Liszt’s greatest piece for the piano - the colossal Sonata. And as Donohoe is one of the most skilled musicians in this repertoire, the evening’s music-making should be full of plenty of memorable pyrotechnics…” "BBC Music Magazine":http://www.bbcmusicmagazine.com *6.15pm pre-concert talk* Tickets £5-£20
  
  *Brahms* Six Pieces, Op 118 20’ *Brahms* Sonata No 3 in F minor, Op 5 28’ *Bach-Busoni* Toccata, Adagio and Fugue, BWV564 15’ *Liszt* Sonata in B minor 27’
  

• Britten Sinfonia at Lunch - March 2009  

  Thu 12 Mar 2009 Town Hall

  
  
  
  

• Orchestra of the Swan: Essential Mahler  

  Wed 25 Mar 2009 Town Hall

  
  
  *Debussy* _arr Schoenberg_ L'aprés midi d'un faune *Berlioz* _arr Mathews_ Nuit d’été *Mahler* _arr Stein_ Symphony No 4
  

• Haydn’s Surprise  

  Sat 28 Mar 2009 Town Hall

  Following an electrifying CBSO debut last season, Manze celebrates two of this year’s anniversary composers, in the Town Hall where so much of their music was heard in the Triennial Festivals and which Mendelssohn famously visited on a number of occasions. His Reformation Symphony combines Protestant and Catholic themes in a superbly fresh manner, while Haydn’s music is always full of surprises! We are joined by a well loved pianist for major works by both composers.
  Andrew Manze -conductor Angela Hewitt - piano City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
  Haydn: Symphony No. 94 (Surprise) 20' Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 1 20' Haydn: Piano Sonata No. 52 in E flat 17' Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 5 (Reformation) 33'
  

• Tokyo Quartet with cellist David Watkin  

  Sun 29 Mar 2009 Town Hall

  Schubert’s String Quintet is one of the jewels in the crown of the chamber music repertoire. Its warm-hearted melodies and the rare beauty of its slow movement have made it one of the most popular Desert Island Discs for countless music-lovers. The incomparable Tokyo Quartet is celebrated for its ravishing refinement of tone and ensemble. They perform Schubert’s masterpiece alongside Haydn’s much-loved Emperor Quartet and the fresh innocence of Mendelssohn’s early Quartet in A minor. Tickets £5-£20
  
  *Haydn* String Quartet in C, Op 76, No 3, Emperor 25’ *Mendelssohn* String Quartet in A minor, Op 13 30’ *Schubert* String Quintet in C, D956 55’
  

• Orchestra of the Swan: The English Romantic  

  Wed 15 Apr 2009 Town Hall

  £8.50, £12.50, £16.50, £19.50 Choir benches £6.50 60 plus £7.50, £11.50, £15, £17.50 Orchestra of the Swan is a Town Hall Associate Artist. Please note that the choir area is bench seating, the benches are behind the stage area, and there is limited legroom and no back support. The view of the stage from this area is limited. Book 3 or more OOTS concerts in one transaction and receive a 10% reduction. Book all 6 in transaction and receive a 20% reduction. Please call the Box Office direct on 0121 780 3333 to take advantage of these offer
  *Mark Bebbington* Piano
  *Vaughan Williams* The Wasps *John Ireland* Piano concerto No 1 *Brahms* Symphony No 2
  

• Purcell's Dido & Aeneas  

  Sat 18 Apr 2009 Town Hall

  Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas is an emotionally charged drama of love, death, fate and the supernatural. Tonight’s fully-staged performance celebrates the 350th anniversary of Purcell’s birth in 1659. It reveals the hopeless love of Dido, Queen of Carthage, like you’ve never heard it before: a stunning reconstruction of the 1700 Lincoln’s Inn Theatre revival of the opera, which reconstructs additional scenes and longlost music and is accompanied by a large and colourful orchestra of period instruments. *BBC music magazine’s editor, Oliver Condy, explains why he has recommended tonight’s concert:* _"Before Elgar came along, Purcell was seen as England’s greatest composer. For many he still is - and Dido and Aeneas is his masterwork. Bringing it to sparkling life is the heady combination of one of the great authentic performance ensembles around today, a legendary director and some a brilliant cast of singers.”_ "BBC Music Magazine":http://www.bbcmusicmagazine.com *6.15pm pre-concert talk* Tickets £5-£30
  *New London Consort* *Philip Pickett* conductor *Jonathan Miller* director *Sue Lefton* choreography, movement *Eskandar* costumes *Julia Gooding* _Dido_ *Michael George* _Aeneas_ *Joanne Lunn* _Belinda_
  *Purcell* Dido and Aeneas (1700) 100’
  

• A Night At The Theatre With Asia  

  Tue 21 Apr 2009 Town Hall

  
  
  
  

• Celebrity Recital: Christian Tetzlaff & Lars Vogt  

  Fri 24 Apr 2009 Town Hall

  This partnership between two of today’s finest soloists is one of the great musical success stories of recent years. Each is a formidable artist in his own right, and as a duo they combine superb virtuosity and engaging musicianship. They are playing three of the most popular sonatas for violin and piano: a musical journey from the grave beauty of Bach’s F minor Sonata to the full-blooded romantic sweep of Cesar Franck, via the serenity of the much-loved a major Sonata by Brahms. Tickets £5-£20
  *Christian Tetzlaff* violin *Lars Vogt* piano
  *Bach* Sonata in F minor, BWV 1018 18’ *Brahms* Sonata in A major, Op 100 20’ *Franck* Sonata in A major 30’
  

• Sunday Morning Coffee Concert -Hendrickje Van Kerckhove & Inge Spinette  

  Sun 26 Apr 2009 Town Hall

  
  
  
  

• Orchestra of the Swan: Tasmin Little and Sibelius  

  Sun 10 May 2009 Town Hall

  
  *Tasmin Little* Violin
  *Sibelius* Rakastava *Roxanna Panufnik* Tibetan Winter Violin & Orchestra *Sibelius* The Swan of Tuonela *Sibelius* Violin concerto
  

• Handel's Arianna  

  Wed 13 May 2009 Town Hall

  Handel heaven for lovers of great singing! We present a truly starstudded international cast for Arianna, the last in the academy of ancient music’s series of Handel operas in Birmingham and a fitting celebration of the 250th anniversary of Handel’s death. Since its first recording in 1999 Arianna has emerged as a forgotten masterpiece, full of vital, colourful music. It is the perfect vehicle for the sublime voices of Angelika Kirchschlager, Alice Coote, Lisa Milne and their colleagues, and baroque opera is a wonderful experience in the intimate and beautiful surroundings of Town Hall. Tickets £5-£30 Please note - Concert performance sung in italian. There will be two intervals.
  *Academy of Ancient Music* *Christopher Hogwood* conductor *Lisa Milne* _Alceste_ *Angelika Kirchschlager* _Teseo_ *Sonia Prina* _Carilda_ *Alice Coote* _Tauride_ *Antonio Abete* _Minos_
  *Handel* Arianna in Creta (1733) 164’
  

• Andsnes Plays Mozart and Beethoven  

  Sun 17 May 2009 Town Hall

  The outstanding pianist Leif Ove Andsnes plays and directs a pair of contrasting classical concertos with his native Norwegian musicians: sparkling, sunny Mozart and turbulent Beethoven. Two much-loved works from a later era continue the classical and Norwegian themes - Prokofiev’s dashing Classical Symphony and Grieg’s Holberg Suite. *Classic FM’s Anne-Marie Minhall says of tonight’s recommended concert:* _ Leif Ove Andsnes is one of my favourite musicians. Not only is he one of the best pianists on the planet, he’s also deeply passionate about every project he undertakes from playing Grieg on top of a Norwegian mountain to running his own annual summer music festival in Risor, three hours from Oslo. Andsnes is also a devoted chamber musician and regularly works with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra as their first guest leader._ "Classic FM":http://www.classicfm.co.uk Tickets £5-£30
  *Norwegian Chamber Orchestra* *Leif Ove Andsnes* _piano/director_ *Terje Tønnesen* _director_
  *Mozart* Piano Concerto No 14 in E flat, K449 22’ *Prokofiev* Classical Symphony 14’ *Grieg* Holberg Suite 21’ *Beethoven* Piano Concerto No 3 in C minor, Op 37 34’
  

• Angela Hewitt plays Bach’s Goldberg Variations  

  Sat 30 May 2009 Town Hall

  Bach’s Goldberg Variations is regarded as one of classical music’s most iconic works: a universal masterpiece that somehow reconciles simplicity and complexity, pleasure and profundity, music and mathematics. Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt is one of the work’s greatest living interpreters, playing it here in the intimate surroundings of Town Hall. *Classic FM’s Anne-Marie Minhall says of tonight’s recommended concert:* _After Leif Ove Andsnes appearing in the Town Hall earlier in May, what a treat to welcome another phenomenal pianist, Angela Hewitt before the month is out. Angela Hewitt is also one of many musicians who keeps fans up-to-date with an online blog on her official website•angelahewitt.com You can keep track of her relentless performance schedule (one day Rome, the next London before moving onto Ottawa ..) as well as read the latest reviews of her concerts. Tonight an opportunity to hear the work of genius that is Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Astonishing to think that Johann Sebastian was commissioned to compose the piece by a nobleman desperate for a good night’s sleep. Poor old Count Kayserling, who was a great supporter of Bach’s, suffered with insomnia. One of his musical employees, Johann Goldberg, was tasked with playing the Variations in an attempt to lull his Master to sleep._ "Classic FM":http://www.classicfm.co.uk *6.15pm Pre-concert talk* £5-£30 The concert will finish at approx. 9pm. Please note there is no interval.
  
  
  

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