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copyright Mike Gutteridge
Celebrating the Past, Pioneering the Future
4 -21 October 2007
Town Hall re-opened on 4 October with a two-week festival, based on the theme ‘Celebrating the Past, Pioneering the Future’. Town Hall’s rich heritage of music, debate and public events was taken as the starting point, and then given a contemporary twist to bring it right up to date. The result was a fantastic festival of events – all ‘Made in Birmingham’.
Headline events included
Brum Rocks Extra for The Children’s
A fundraising concert for the Birmingham Children’s Hospital Red Balloon Appeal, telling the story of the golden era of rock ‘n’ roll in Birmingham with an all-star line-up including Robert Plant and Bev Bevan.
A unique collaboration between band of the moment, the Guillemots the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra included the world premiere of a new work by Guillemots frontman, Birmingham-born Fyfe Dangerfield.
Messiah: A Soulful Celebration
The Re-opening Concert saw an outstanding line-up of local and national musicians performing Quincy Jones’s pioneering gospel/soul re-imagination of Handel’s Messiah (which was a mainstay of the famous Birmingham Triennial Festivals, held at the Town Hall from 1834 to 1912). Cleveland Watkiss, Soweto Kinch, Black Voices, BBC Big Band, the Reggae Philharmonic, and the cream of local gospel talent were all there.
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Friends payed tribute to the 10th anniversary of the death of the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who played some of his greatest concerts at Town Hall.
The CBSO and Chorus performed Elgar’s The Music Makers, a 1912 Triennial Festival commission that ushered in a new era, alongside the violin concerto by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Britain’s leading black composer of that time.
Ex Cathedra celebrated Birmingham’s great choral tradition with past masterpieces and pioneered the future with a new commission from John Joubert.
City Organist Thomas Trotter showed off the 6,000 newly refurbished pipes of the 1834 Town Hall organ with a world premiere from renowned composer Paul Patterson.
Radio 1 DJ Gilles Peterson pioneered the future for younger audiences with cutting-edge local bands and DJs.
Avant-garde champions Capsule presented live performances from Pram and Modified Toy Orchestra, pioneers of Birmingham’s experimental music scene.
The Best of British Urban saw Town Hall joining forces with legendary promoter Punch.
A special concert celebrating young people, drew on the immense talent of Birmingham schools, from symphony orchestra to tin whistle ensemble.
The BBC Big Band appeared with seven-times Grammy nominated jazz singer Kurt Elling.
Orchestra of the Swan launched their Town Hall Classical Encounters series of friendly and informal concerts for new audiences, introduced by their dynamic conductor David Curtis.
There was A Welcome Weekend for everyone at the start of the Festival, with a carnival atmosphere of family fun and a special, one-off concert version of Wallop Mrs Cox, the show that makes you proud to be a Brummie!
Town Hall Dances! A day of dance for all ages including Twinkle Toes for toddlers, a Festival Tea Dance and the Grand Festival Ballroom Dance.
Associate Artists of Town Hall
BBC Big Band, Black Voices, Soweto Kinch, Orchestra of the Swan, Ex Cathedra and Thomas Trotter have been announced as the first Associate Artists of Town Hall. All featured prominently in the Re-opening Festival and all will enjoy a special relationship with Town Hall, collaborating on programming, education work, new audience initiatives and commissions.
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Town Hall Re-opening Festival Gallery
View photos from the Re-opening Festival of Town Hall. more
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