Poetry

Playing With Words

Presented by Julie Boden, Town Hall and Symphony Hall’s Poet in Residence

“It is a delight to find a poet of this quality who is also blessed with a flexible and expressive voice”
Don Barnard, Raw Edge Magazine, April 2001

Symphony Hall now has its own poet in residence, Julie Boden, a former Birmingham Poet Laureate whose sensitivity, warmth and humour have endeared her to a wide audience.

Her residency, began in January 2005 as part of the ‘Poetry Central’ project and involves a range of exciting activities involving audiences, Symphony Hall staff and musicians including readings, workshops, poetic responses to concerts, commissions and live performances. Keep an eye open around Town Hall and Symphony Hall and in our print for the fruits of her labours.

Julie’s first performance was at our Valentine’s Day Organ Concert in 2005 where she performed The Amorous Organ accompanied by organist Gordon Stewart.

On Saturday 11 June 2005 Julie gave a performance of another new work Bluebeard’s Wives, a sonnet sequence inspired by Bartok’s Duke Bluebeard’s Castle which was being performed at Symphony Hall that night. Julie also worked with twenty female writers to produce a wide variety of responses to the work which were also showcased at the concert.

During Autumn 2005 Julie ran a series of workshops in local schools on the theme ‘Around the World’. They created poetry that was integrated into a new composition commissioned by Andrew Downes. It was performed at Symphony Hall as part of ‘Songs of the Skies’, sponsored by British Airways.

If you’d like to read some poetry please click on the links below or visit the Playing with Words poster site at Symphony Hall by Door 2.

Poet in Residence Julie Boden will accept poetry submissions on themes relating to Town Hall and Symphony Hall. If you would like to submit your work to Julie, please email her at Julie@Julieboden.co.uk

• Christmas Poems

  A collection of festive poems by Poet in Residence, Julie Boden more

• Julie Boden

  Julie Boden is a poet based in the Midlands area. She has been writing poems since childhood and was Birmingham Poet Laureate 2002/03 during which time she established the Oasis Cafe Theatre, a monthly multi-disciplined venue for the arts at the Orang... more

• The Amorous Organ

  Performed at Valentine’s Day Lunchtime Organ Concert 2005 (Organ plays extract from ‘Air on a G String’) Please don’t blame the candles, Mother.Please don’t blame the wine.His ‘Air upon a G string,’ Mother,tru... more

• Bluebeard's Wives

  A sonnet sequence inspired by Bartok’s Duke Bluebeard’s Castle performed at Symphony Hall on Saturday 11 June 2005. Prologue This tale has not been based on Gilles de Retzwho fought at Orleans with Joan of Arc,It does not tell of Comar or ... more

• Jan Wild - Amusing Shorts

  Amusing short poems based on images seen around Symphony Hall. By Jan Wild The Apple and the Harpist It waitsplump and fulland tempting, oozinglove and fertility, greenand shiny, flecked with crimsonsecure, sure of its place in creationinspiration for... more

• The Sounds of Dew

  A poem by Chris Hoskins, inspired by the day she sang in Symphony Hall. more

• A Letter to my Daughter

  more

• If There Were Words

  (On hearing Ex Cathedra sing) more

• First Love

  First Love He tuned her roughly firsthinge-pins moaning to the levered lid. And then he came again bending ironsdrop-screw regulatorkey easing pliersparallel pliers easing sluggish jack centreseasing the hammers’ heightslistening – touchin... more

• The Concierge

  The Concierge (For Mike) He stands beside the door come rain, come shine;pressed and dressed, a flower in his lapel.As in his shoes the smiles of strangers shinehe stands beside the door come rain, come shine.He tells us grandchildren are doing fine. ... more

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