What's On — All events

Igorfest Orchestra Miniat...

Sat 18 Apr 2009 7:00pm Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

£15

PLEASE NOTE THAT TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE ON THE DOOR SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY.
Sax in the City April 200... Featuring Andy Hamilton and the Blue Notes

Sat 18 Apr 2009 12:30pm Symphony Hall Foyer Bars

Relax with Birmingham jazz legend Andy Hamilton as he brings you the finest in jazz together with his band The Blue Notes. _“Sumptuous, sensuous, gifted... Hamilton’s sound is irresistible”_ The Guardian Supported by Arts Council England. Free admission
Motorcity Roots An Anniversary Tribute to the Motown Legacy featuring Jazz Jamaica

Fri 17 Apr 2009 7:30pm Town Hall

_“Jazz Jamaica, the raucously vivacious British band that mixes reggae with all manner of other idioms, played Caribbean bebop Tamla Motown . . . Jazz Jamaica puts a reggae bounce under just about every soul classic you’ve ever heard of . . . irresistible.”_ The Guardian Motown Records, named after hometown Detroit’s nickname of Motor City, was founded in January 1959. To celebrate the anniversary, put on those flares for an unforgettable feel-good evening with a party atmosphere as Jazz Jamaica’s ska-jazz-reggae band dusts down your favourite Motown Classics. This band really rocks, and with their big, bold, brassy horns and skanking rhythm section, we guarantee they’ll have you _Dancing in the Street_!
Jazz Jamaica’s world-class line-up : *Gary Crosby* double bass *Rod Youngs* drums *Robin Banerjee* guitar *Ben Burrell* piano / organ *Pete Eckford* percussion *Denys Baptiste* tenor sax *Camilla George* alto sax *Ashley Howard* trombone *Abram Wilson* trumpet *Zara Mcfarlane* vocals *J’'nay* vocals *Baby So* vocals
Presented in association with The Drum.
Ultravox plus special gue...
Returns Only
Fri 17 Apr 2009 7:30pm Symphony Hall

Ultravox are to tour the UK in April 2009 after an absence of 20 years. The tour, which will feature Ultravox’s original 1980’s line up of Midge Ure, Chris Cross, Warren Cann and Billy Currie will perform 14 shows across the UK including Symphony Hall, Birmingham. Fans can look forward to the band performing material from all their albums, including _Vienna, Rage in Eden_ and _Quartet_. Ultravox were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the early 1980s. “Over the years we have all been caught up with a number of individual projects. When Billy and me were approached by Absolute Radio to perform an acoustic set at their inaugural launch in October at Abbey Road Studios, we took up the offer,” said Midge Ure. “We were overwhelmed by the response of our fans, which confirmed within the band that perhaps the time was right to re-form.”
Shreefpunk

Fri 17 Apr 2009 5:30pm Symphony Hall Foyer Bars

Shreefpunk, a top young German band, play Rush Hour Blues as part of the ECHO (Eurpoean Concert Halls Organisation) series, in which rising stars tour the major concert halls of Europe. Free Admission
The Solid Silver 60's Sho...

Thu 16 Apr 2009 7:30pm Symphony Hall

The UK’s original and premier 60s show is back once again! The Searchers are a firm favourite, going strong since their first number one in 1963 with Sweets For My Sweet. Wayne Fontana was one of the many talented artists of the 1960s beat boom with hits like Um Um Um Um Um Um and Game of Love. The Merseybeats are one of the true surviving bands from the ‘60s when Liverpool ruled the airwaves! As part of The Walker Brothers, John Walker had his first hit Love Her in 1965, with a string of hits that followed. Completing this impressive line-up are The Dakotas with chart-topping hits Bad to Me, Little Children and Do You Want to Know A Secret.
*The Searchers* *Wayne Fontana* *The Merseybeats* *John Walker (of the Walker Brothers)* *The Dakotas*
Orchestra of the Swan: Th...

Wed 15 Apr 2009 2:30pm Town Hall

A perfect afternoon classical treat in the beautiful setting of Town Hall. The renaissance of English music, led by Elgar, saw an astonishing flowering of talent which continues today. Ireland's Piano Concerto is on a large scale, firmly based on the 19th century Romantic model. It provides an ideal counterpart to Brahms's sublime D major symphony, perhaps the most intimate of all his symphonic masterpieces. 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 one 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
Bat For Lashes plus special guests School of Seven Bells

Sun 12 Apr 2009 7:30pm Town Hall

With her dazzling second album, _Two Suns_, Bat For Lashes is set to assume the mantle of the most dynamic and intriguing pop performer in the UK right now. Natasha Khan’s debut _Fur And Gold_ was nominated for the 2007 Mercury Music Prize, and earned two Brit Award nominations for Best Breakthrough and Best Female in 2008. The album’s blend of spooky childhood reveries and magical piano balladry caught the imagination of everyone and not just in the music world. Natasha was feted by the fashion crowd, appearing everywhere from Vogue to Dazed & Confused and she recently collaborated with Alexander McQueen’s McQ label on several one-off pieces featured on the _Two Suns_ artwork. As if that weren’t enough, Bat For Lashes has inspired the making of a fantasy film-musical based on the songs from Fur And Gold. Natasha went on to be chosen by The Guardian as one of 2007’s women of the year - the only musician to appear on their list that year. Bat for Lashes was also asked to support Radiohead on their European tour last summer at the band’s personal request, where she assembled a new live band to explore fresh musical forms, before heading out to New York and the Californian desert to write what has now become _Two Suns_. _Two Suns_ sees Natasha exploring her creative personas and the world around her in a very different way. Envisioning herself as two separate yet ultimately attached beings, we discover her inner character Pearl, the destructive blonde femme fatale that represents one extreme of her personality. Pearl’s troubled obsession with childlike escapism and self-absorption opposes the wild and mystical desert being who represents Natasha’s more spiritual self. Through the songs on the album, Natasha and Pearl take us on a journey as they intertwine and overflow into each other’s realms, struggling to reconcile with each other, love and the forces of the outside world. _“Bat For Lashes has clearly and equivocally her own voice..entrancing. One of the year’s most exciting debuts”_ Music Week _“there’s something unique on this debut. Her voice floats over electronics, handclaps, piano and autoharp, while her mystically-shaped lyrics feature weeping seals and ghostly horses..otherworldly”_ Q Magazine _“Tim Burton flavoured chamber-pop”_ Sunday Telegraph
Birmingham Choral Union: ...

Sat 11 Apr 2009 7:00pm Town Hall

Birmingham Choral Union was established in the 1880s and has a long history of involvement with the Town Hall, at one time performing here monthly. The annual Easter Messiah was a feature of their programme and it is with great pleasure that they are singing Handel’s great oratorio for the first time since the re-opening.
Good Friday St Matthew Pa...

Fri 10 Apr 2009 2:00pm Symphony Hall

Ex Cathedra’s trailblazing performances and critically acclaimed recordings have put them at the forefront of the international early music movement. So we can expect them to bring searching new insights to this season’s traditional Good Friday performance of Bach’s St Matthew Passion. It is the largest, most elaborate and most affecting of all Bach’s works, telling the story of the last days of Christ in music of great dignity and emotional intensity. *Please not there has been a change to the previously advertsied solosits list.*
*Ex Cathedra Soloists, Choir & Baroque Orchestra* *Jeffrey Skidmore* conductor *Grace Davidson* soprano I *Mark Chambers* alto I *Jeremy Budd* tenor I & _Evangelist_ *Eamonn Dougan* bass I & _Christus_ *Natalie Clifton-Griffith* soprano II *Matthew Venner* alto II *Christopher Watson* tenor II *James Birchall* & *Greg Skidmore* bass II
*J S Bach* St Matthew Passion 180’
Jackson Browne- Time The ... No Support

Thu 9 Apr 2009 8:00pm Symphony Hall

Jackson Browne has written and performed some of the most literate and moving songs in popular music and has defined a genre of songwriting charged with honesty, emotion and personal politics. He’s been honored with inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2004) and the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame (2007). At the latter ceremony, Jackson performed his song _Lives In The Balance,”_which SHOF notes is, “a fitting example of how his social and political activism has influenced much of his work.” Browne’s latest release, 2008’s Time The Conqueror, is his first set of new material in six years. Accompanying Browne is his band of fifteen years: Kevin McCormick (bass), Mark Goldenberg (guitars), Mauricio Lewak (drums) and Jeff Young (keyboards, backing vocals). They have been with him since 1993’s I’m Alive, playing on Looking East (’96) and The Naked Ride Home (’02). £40
Jackson Browne- Time The ... No Support

Wed 8 Apr 2009 8:00pm Symphony Hall

Jackson Browne has written and performed some of the most literate and moving songs in popular music and has defined a genre of songwriting charged with honesty, emotion and personal politics. He’s been honored with inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2004) and the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame (2007). At the latter ceremony, Jackson performed his song _Lives In The Balance,_ which SHOF notes is, _“a fitting example of how his social and political activism has influenced much of his work.”_ Browne’s latest release, 2008’s Time The Conqueror, is his first set of new material in six years. Accompanying Browne is his band of fifteen years: *Kevin McCormick* (bass), *Mark Goldenberg* (guitars), *Mauricio Lewak* (drums) and *Jeff Young* (keyboards, backing vocals). They have been with him since 1993’s I’m Alive, playing on Looking East (’96) and The Naked Ride Home (’02).
The National Youth Wind O...

Wed 8 Apr 2009 7:30pm Town Hall

*Bernstein* Profanation (from Symphony No 1, _Jeremiah_) arr. Bencriscutto *Bruce Fraser* Tuba Concerto. *Martin Ellerby* Elgar Variations. Band version - World Premiere *Hudson Noguiera* Senzalas, Maracutus e Qolumbus *Rolf Rudin* Out Of Nowhere *John Williams* Star Wars Trilogy arr. Hunsberger £12, £15 (Stalls only) Under16s/ students £5
*Matthew George* conductor *James Gourlay* tuba
Evening Organ Concert - T...

Tue 7 Apr 2009 7:30pm Symphony Hall

One of the most outstanding organists of his generation, Thierry Escaich presents a programme that pits some of the greatest composers of German Romantic music against those of the French school, including Brahms, Mendelssohn, Dupré and Franck. As organist of St Étienne-du-Mont, where one of his predecessors was the great Maurice Duruflé, Escaich’s playing is steeped in the French organ tradition, central to which is the art of improvisation; bring your own themes along to experience the excitement of a live re-working of selected material.

*Dupre* Le Monde dans l'attente du Sauveur *Brahms* Herzlich tut mir erfreuen *Brahms* Herzliebster Jesu *Brahms* Prélude et fugue en sol mineur *Mendelssohn* Récitatif et final de la Sonate n°1 en fa mineur *Mendelssohn* Prélude et fugue improvisé en style romantique sur un thème donné *Franck* Pièce héroïque *Escaich* III Poèmes pour orgue 1) Eaux natales 2) le Masque 3) vers l'espérance *Alain* Litanies *Alain* Improvisation libre sur un thème donné
BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Con... Giuliano Sommerhalder & Roberto Arosio

Tue 7 Apr 2009 1:00pm Town Hall

The BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme exists to provide support to some of the brightest talents in the world of classical music. In the first of a pair of BBC Radio 3 lunchtime concerts this spring, we hear from the hugely talented young trumpeter Giuliano Sommerhalder in three of the 20th century’s most delightful works for trumpet and piano.
*Giuliano Sommerhalder* Trumpet *Roberto Arosio* Piano
*Oboussier* Entrada *Martinů* Sonatina *Enescu* Légende *Bartók* Romanian Folk Dances *Gallois-Montbrun* Sarabande et Finale *Ostrovskaya* Sonata *Tognetti* "Bis" *Yvon* Sonata *Bozza* Cornettina
Talking Cities Lecture Se...

Mon 6 Apr 2009 6:00pm Town Hall

*Klaus Bondam*: Mayor, The City of Copenhagen, Technical and Environmental Administration. Talking Cities: MADE and Birmingham City University urban design blic lecture series. Consistently ranked as a top world city in which to live, Copenhagen is renowned for its architecture, public spaces and its leadership in tackling the environmental challenges of urban development. Klaus Bondam will discuss his goal for Copenhagen to be the Eco-Metropolis of the world by 2015 and his Metropolis for People policy, set to create even better conditions for urban life through public participation and dialogue between citizens and experts. The talk will be for 60 minutes without an interval, followed by questions from the audience. Sponsored by Atkins and Birmingham City Council.
We'll Meet Again

Mon 6 Apr 2009 2:30pm Town Hall

Relive the spirit of the Forties in this wonderful afternoon performance with lots of singalong tunes that will bring back warm memories. The show pays tribute to the legendary stars of the war years - Vera Lynn, Donald Peers, Gracie Fields, George Formby, Bing Crosby, and famous comedians Max Miller and Tessie O’Shea. This special show promises not only to evoke the spirit of wartime Britain, but the music and laughter that kept Britain smiling through her darkest days.
Lunchtime Organ Concert -...

Mon 6 Apr 2009 1:00pm Symphony Hall

*J S Bach* Prelude & Fugue in B minor *Howells* Master Tallis's Testament & Sarabande for the Morning of Easter *Alain* Three Piece (Cl. Jan Var, Le Jardin Suspendu & Litanies) *Goss-Custard* Chelsea Fayre *Coates* The Princess Elizabeth March
Singalong with the CBSO: ...

Sun 5 Apr 2009 7:00pm Symphony Hall

Join the CBSO with its world-renowned chorus director, Simon Halsey, and young professional soloists to sing Mozart’s Requiem, which he was famously still working upon at his untimely death. If you enjoy singing, the unique experience of performing such a powerful work in Birmingham’s magnificent Symphony Hall, with over 1000 singers, is surely not to be missed.
Simon Halsey - conductor City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Please Note: Only Audience tickets for this event can be purchased online. Please contact the venue Box Office to purchase singer tickets on 0121 780 3333
sampad presents Asian Spr...

Sun 5 Apr 2009 4:00pm Town Hall

The twelfth annual dance showcase, held in the sumptuous surroundings of Town Hall. This year's programme will feature performances from local and youth dance groups including *Bengali Association Group*, *Bollywood Dreams Dance Academy*, *Chitraleka Dance Company*, *Diverse Dance Company*, *Mini Arts Group*, *Nachda Sansaar Jrs*, *S & J Stars*, *Sonia Sabri Company*, *Hina & Co* and *Subhash Viman*. Rhythms and routines from traditional Kathak and Bharatanatyam to Bollywood and Contemporary will bring together dancers of all ages in an eclectic dance extravaganza! This event sells well every year so make sure you book in advance!