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• Centre Stage at CBSO Centre  

  Thu 25 Sep to Sun 14 Jun Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  Devised and performed by the musicians of the CBSO, Centre Stage provides a series of intimate chamber concerts designed to complement the music being performed at Symphony Hall. Centre Stage events start at 1.10pm and normally last about 50 minutes. Snacks and a licenced bar are available before every performance.
  
  
  

• Centre Stage Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Wed 26 Sep Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  Devised and performed by the musicians of the CBSO, Centre Stage provides a series of intimate chamber concerts designed to complement the music being performed at Symphony Hall. With a ‘close enough to touch’ atmosphere, these concerts put the talents of our musicians in the spotlight, and provide the perfect setting in which to get near to the performers and the music they’ve chosen. All Centre Stage events are held at CBSO Centre, a landmark building in the heart of Birmingham between The Mailbox and Symphony Hall. Centre Stage events start at 1.10pm and normally last about 50 minutes. Snacks and a licenced bar are available before every performance.
  
  
  

• Centre Stage A Palm Court Christmas Party! 

  Mon 22 Dec Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  A Palm Court Christmas Party! Berkley Salon Ensemble City of Birmingham Symphony Youth Chorus (Seniors)
  
  
  

• Centre Stage CBSO Players 

  Fri 6 Mar 2009 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  CBSO Players Schubert: String Quartet in G, D.887
  
  
  

• Centre Stage Elliott Carter’s 100th Birthday 

  Thu 18 Dec Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  Elliott Carter’s 100th Birthday Marie-Christine Zupancic (flute) and CBSO colleagues Carter: Enchanted Preludes Carter: Scrivo in Vento Mozart: Flute Quartet No. 4 in A, K.298 Villa-Lobos: The Jet Whistle Bax: Elegiac Trio
  
  
  

• Centre Stage Cellos Across the Ocean 

  Wed 10 Jun Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  The massed cellos of the CBSO perform classic Americana from Copland, Barber, Gershwin, Bernstein and Glass.
  
  
  

• Centre Stage Baiba Skride (violin) and CBSO Players 

  Thu 27 Nov Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  Baiba Skride (violin) and CBSO Players Brahms: Clarinet Quintet
  
  
  

• Centre Stage Sakari Oramo (violin) and CBSO Players 

  Tue 9 Dec Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  Sakari Oramo (violin) and CBSO Players Mozart: Horn Quintet K.407 Bruckner: String Quintet
  
  
  

• Centre Stage CBSO Players 

  Wed 18 Mar 2009 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  CBSO Players Mozart: String Quintet in C, K.515
  
  
  

• Centre Stage  

  Thu 23 Apr Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  
  

• Centre Stage CBSO Players 

  Thu 6 Nov Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  
  

• Centre Stage Haydn and Handel in London 

  Thu 15 Jan 2009 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  
  

• Centre Stage Eduardo Vassallo and Laurence Jackson 

  Fri 6 Feb 2009 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  
  

• Centre Stage  

  Fri 4 May Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  
  

• Centre Stage  

  Sunday 20 May Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  
  

• Centre Stage  

  Tue 5 Jun Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  
  

• Centre Stage  

  Thu 24 May Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  
  

• Centre Stage  

  Wed 13 Jun Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  
  

• Centre Stage Simon Trpceski and CBSO players 

  Thu 25 Sep 2008 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  *Brahms* Horn Trio *Prokofiev* Overture on Hebrew Themes
  

• Centre Stage The Leo Quartet 

  Fri 3 Apr Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  *Schubert* Quartet No 7 in D *Shostakovich* Quartet No 2
  

• Centre Stage A Pepys Portrait 

  Sun 8 Mar 2009 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  A Pepys Portrait on period instruments CBSO Baroque Ensemble & Emily van Evera (soprano) Including music by Purcell, Locke and Mattheis
  
  
  

• Centre Stage CBSO Players 

  Tue 24 Feb 2009 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  CBSO Players Rossini: String Sonatas Nos. 1, 3 and 4 Barrière: Sonate à Deux
  
  
  

• Centre Stage - Marie-Christine Zupancic CBSO Players 

  Wed 21 Jan Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  CBSO Players Boccherini: Quintet in C Op. 28 No. 4 Glazunov: String Quintet
  
  
  

• Centre Stage - Latin Cellos  

  Thu 27 May 2010 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  Popular classics with a Latin flavour - including music by *Falla, Pablo Casals* and *Dave Brubeck.*
  *CBSO Cellos*
  
  

• Centre Stage Haydn 200 

  Thu 28 May Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  *CBSO Players*
  *Haydn* String Quartet in D Op 20 No4 *Haydn* String Quartet in B minor Op 33 No 1
  

• Centre Stage - El Ultimo Tango  

  Sat 26 Jun 2010 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  "Bell arte del Tango"
  *El Ultimo Tango*
  "Bell arte del Tango"
  

• Centre Stage - Mozart's Divertimento for String Trio  

  Fri 23 Oct Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *Mozart* Divertimento for string trio, K.563
  *Laurence Jackson* _violin_ *Christopher Yates* _viola_ *Ulrich Heinen* _cello_
  *Mozart* Divertimento for string trio, K.563
  

• Centre Stage - Jonathan Biss  

  Thu 17 Dec Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *Beethoven* Piano Trio in G, Op. 1 No 2
  *CBSO Players* *Jonathan Biss* _piano_
  *Beethoven* Piano Trio in G, Op. 1 No 2
  

• Centre Stage - Andrew Litton  

  Wed 24 Feb 2010 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *Korngold* Piano Quintet
  *CBSO Players* *Andrew Litton* _piano_
  *Korngold* Piano Quintet
  

• Centre Stage - Eyeglass  

  Fri 12 Feb 2010 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *Beethoven* _Eyeglass_ Duo *Dittersdorf* Duo for viola and bass *Schulhoff* Concertino
  *Marie-Christine Zupancic* _flute_ *Adam Römer* _viola_ *John Tattersdill* _double bass_
  *Beethoven* _Eyeglass_ Duo *Dittersdorf* Duo for viola and bass *Schulhoff* Concertino
  

• Centre Stage - Lars Vogt  

  Thu 13 May 2010 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *Schubert* '_Trout_' Quintet
  *CBSO Players* *Lars Vogt* _piano_
  *Schubert* '_Trout_' Quintet
  

• Centre Stage Briony Shaw, Richard Jenkinson & Robert Markham  

  Fri 15 May Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  *Briony Shaw* violin *Richard Jenkinson* cello *Robert Markham* piano
  *Schubert* Piano Trio in B flat Op 99
  

• Centre Stage - The Berkley Salon Ensemble  

  Mon 21 Dec Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *A Palm Court Christmas Party*
  *The Berkley Salon Ensemble* *CBSYC Seniors*
  *A Palm Court Christmas Party*
  

• Centre Stage Byron Parish & Owen Cox (violins), Ella Brinch (viola) 

  Wed 8 Oct Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  Byron Parish & Owen Cox (violins), Ella Brinch (viola) Mozart: Duo in G major, K.423 Prokofiev: Sonata for Two Violins Dvorák: Terzetto
  
  
  

• Centre Stage Elspeth Dutch (horn) and CBSO colleagues 

  Fri 24 Oct Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  Elspeth Dutch (horn) and CBSO colleagues Beethoven: Sextet for two horns and strings Ireland: Sextet for horn, clarinet and strings
  
  
  

• Centre Stage Rainer Gibbons and the Montpellier String Trio 

  Fri 1 May Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  *Rainer Gibbons* oboe *Montpellier String Trio*
  *Mozart* Oboe Quartet *JC Bach* Oboe Quartet *Beethoven* Serenade in D Op 8
  

• Notelets Fairytales 11am 

  Sun 29 Mar Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  Fairytales - a mini concert for 3-5 year olds and their families at CBSO Centre
  
  PLEASE NOTE TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE ON THE DOOR SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY
  

• Centre Stage - Innovation Chamber Ensemble  

  Fri 11 Jun 2010 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *Bruckner (arr. Erwin Stein)* Symphony No 7
  *Innovation Chamber Ensemble*
  *Bruckner (arr. Erwin Stein)* Symphony No 7
  

• Sinatra - 8pm The West End Smash comes to Birmingham! 

  Fri 2 May Symphony Hall

  Legendary performer Frank Sinatra's latest, greatest and most ambitious comeback, captured at the peak of his career, singing his greatest hit songs direct to the audience in ultra-rare and some never-before seen footage. Ground-breaking creative use of cutting-edge technology puts him centre stage, larger than life on multiple moving screens, and lets him perform with a brilliant company of dancers and singers, supported by a live orchestra- together performing some of the greatest music ever recorded.
  
  
  

• Sinatra - 8pm The West End Smash comes to Birmingham! 

  Sat 3 May Symphony Hall

  Legendary performer Frank Sinatra's latest, greatest and most ambitious comeback, captured at the peak of his career, singing his greatest hit songs direct to the audience in ultra-rare and some never-before seen footage. Ground-breaking creative use of cutting-edge technology puts him centre stage, larger than life on multiple moving screens, and lets him perform with a brilliant company of dancers and singers, supported by a live orchestra- together performing some of the greatest music ever recorded.
  
  
  

• Sinatra - 8pm The West End Smash comes to Birmingham! 

  Sun 4 May Symphony Hall

  Legendary performer Frank Sinatra's latest, greatest and most ambitious comeback, captured at the peak of his career, singing his greatest hit songs direct to the audience in ultra-rare and some never-before seen footage. Ground-breaking creative use of cutting-edge technology puts him centre stage, larger than life on multiple moving screens, and lets him perform with a brilliant company of dancers and singers, supported by a live orchestra- together performing some of the greatest music ever recorded.
  
  
  

• Sinatra - 2.30pm The West End Smash comes to Birmingham! 

  Sat 3 May Symphony Hall

  Legendary performer Frank Sinatra's latest, greatest and most ambitious comeback, captured at the peak of his career, singing his greatest hit songs direct to the audience in ultra-rare and some never-before seen footage. Ground-breaking creative use of cutting-edge technology puts him centre stage, larger than life on multiple moving screens, and lets him perform with a brilliant company of dancers and singers, supported by a live orchestra- together performing some of the greatest music ever recorded.
  
  
  

• Sinatra - 2.30pm The West End Smash comes to Birmingham! 

  Sun 4 May Symphony Hall

  Legendary performer Frank Sinatra's latest, greatest and most ambitious comeback, captured at the peak of his career, singing his greatest hit songs direct to the audience in ultra-rare and some never-before seen footage. Ground-breaking creative use of cutting-edge technology puts him centre stage, larger than life on multiple moving screens, and lets him perform with a brilliant company of dancers and singers, supported by a live orchestra- together performing some of the greatest music ever recorded.
  
  
  

• Centre Stage - Haydn & Ravel  

  Thu 15 Oct Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *Haydn* Quartet in C, Op 33 No 3 (The Bird) *Ravel* String Quartet
  *CBSO Players*
  *Haydn* Quartet in C, Op 33 No 3 (The Bird) *Ravel* String Quartet
  

• Centre Stage - Brass Explosion  

  Thu 3 Dec Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *Poulenc* Sonata for Horn, Trumpet and Trombone *Nyman* Masque Arias *Mathias* Summer Dances
  
  *Poulenc* Sonata for Horn, Trumpet and Trombone *Nyman* Masque Arias *Mathias* Summer Dances
  

• Centre Stage - Marie-Christine Zupancic  

  Thu 21 Jan 2010 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *Falla* Concerto for harpsichord & five instruments *Mozart* Flute Quartet in C, K.285b
  *Marie-Christine Zupancic* _flute_
  *Falla* Concerto for harpsichord & five instruments *Mozart* Flute Quartet in C, K.285b
  

• Centre Stage - Russian String Quartets CBSO Players 

  Fri 7 May 2010 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *Tchaikovsky* String Quartet No 1 *Shostakovich* String Quartet No 6
  *CBSO Players*
  *Tchaikovsky* String Quartet No 1 *Shostakovich* String Quartet No 6
  

• Centre Stage - The Leo Quartet The Leo Quartet 

  Fri 5 Mar 2010 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *Rachmaninov* Two Movements for String Quartet *Beethoven* String Quartet in C, Op 59 No 3 (Razumovsky)
  *The Leo Quartet*
  *Rachmaninov* Two Movements for String Quartet *Beethoven* String Quartet in C, Op 59 No 3 (Razumovsky)
  

• Centre Stage - Brahms Piano Quartet CBSO Players 

  Wed 31 Mar 2010 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *Brahms* Piano Quartet in G minor, Op 25
  *CBSO Players*
  *Brahms* Piano Quartet in G minor, Op 25
  

• Centre Stage - The Dadelsen Trio  

  Wed 18 Nov Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *Schumann* Fantasy Pieces, Op 88 *Mendelssohn* Piano Trio No 2
  *The Dadelsen Trio*
  *Schumann* Fantasy Pieces, Op 88 *Mendelssohn* Piano Trio No 2
  

• Centre Stage - Stockhausen  

  Thu 29 Apr 2010 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *Stockhausen* _Tierkreis_ Music by *Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Duke Ellington* and *Bruno Heinen*.
  *Ulrich Heinen* _cello_ *Mark Goodchild* _double bass_ *Bruno Heinen* _piano_
  *Stockhausen* _Tierkreis_ Music by *Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Duke Ellington* and *Bruno Heinen*.
  

• Centre Stage - Brahms String Quintet  

  Fri 6 Nov Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *Brahms* String Quintet in F minor (based on the Piano Quintet, Op 34)
  *CBSO Players*
  *Brahms* String Quintet in F minor (based on the Piano Quintet, Op 34)
  

• Centre Stage - CBSO Baroque Players  

  Thu 14 Jan 2010 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  _"From the Court of Frederick the Great"_ Works by C.P.E. Bach, Quantz, Graun and Janitsch.
  *CBSO Baroque Players*
  _"From the Court of Frederick the Great"_ Works by C.P.E. Bach, Quantz, Graun and Janitsch.
  

• Centre Stage - CBSO Players perform Fauré and Bridge  

  Thu 28 Jan 2010 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *Fauré* Piano Quartet No 1 *Bridge* Phantasy Piano Quartet
  *CBSO Players*
  *Fauré* Piano Quartet No 1 *Bridge* Phantasy Piano Quartet
  

• Centre Stage - Andrew Gough & CBSO Players  

  Fri 2 Oct Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *Boccherini* Guitar Quintet No 4 (Fandango) *Castelnuono-Tedesco* Guitar Quintet
  *CBSO Players* *Andrew Gough* _guitar_
  *Boccherini* Guitar Quintet No 4 (Fandango) *Castelnuono-Tedesco* Guitar Quintet
  

• Centre Stage - Elspeth Dutch Elspeth Dutch and CBSO colleagues 

  Fri 23 Apr 2010 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *Glazunov* Idyll for horn and strings *Dunhill* Horn Quintet in F minor
  *Elspeth Dutch* _horn_ *CBSO players*
  *Glazunov* Idyll for horn and strings *Dunhill* Horn Quintet in F minor
  

• Centre Stage - Shostakovich and Brahms Piano Trios CBSO Players 

  Fri 18 Sep Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  *Shostakovich* Piano Trio No 1 *Brahms* Piano Trio in B major
  *CBSO Players*
  *Shostakovich* Piano Trio No 1 *Brahms* Piano Trio in B major
  

• American Classics  

  Tue 17 Jun Symphony Hall

  Andrew Litton has become a firm favourite with CBSO audiences in the last few seasons, and tonight he takes centre stage as both pianist and conductor in a trio of well-known American scores. Gershwin’s Piano Concerto was the composer’s most ambitious work for the concert hall, and features the same ‘symphonic jazz’ style with which he had made his name in Rhapsody in Blue. Copland’s Third Symphony was begun in 1944, and looks ahead to a brighter future, in this case with a finale based on his own hugely successful Fanfare for the Common Man. Bernstein’s fizzing comedy overture gets the evening off to a flying start.
  *Andrew Litton* Conductor / Piano
  *Bernstein* Candide Overture 5' *Gershwin* Piano Concerto 31' *Copland* Symphony No. 3 40'
  

• Brainiac Live The show that laughs in the face of Science 

  Fri 13 Mar Symphony Hall

  Strap on your safety goggles, boys and girls: Science's greatest and most volatile show is arriving here with a vengeance. Sky One’s multi award-winning Brainiac arrives with a bang live on stage more mischievous than ever seen before on a breathless ride through the wild world of the weird and wonderful. Watch live as we delve fearlessly into the mysteries of science and do all of those things on stage that you’re too scared to do at home!
  Presented by *Brainiac Joe*
  
  

• Notelets at CBSO Centre  

  Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  
  

• The Final of the Robert William & Florence Amy Brant International Pianoforte Competition 2008  

  Sat 12 Jul Town Hall

  With an illustrious list of former winners, including Mark Bebbington and Roger Owens, and a first prize of £3000, this prestigious international piano competition provides young pianists with the opportunity to further their careers and perform in world-class venues. In tonight’s concert three finalists, selected at the end of the semi-final stage, will each perform a varied programme of no more than 40 minutes’ duration consisting of their own choice of works by three different composers. £10, 60 plus/full-time students/under 16s/ unwaged £7.50 (unreserved seating) Entry details and more information can be found at www.thsh.co.uk/brantcompetition. The preliminary round and semi-final of the competition will take place at the CBSO Centre (Berkley Street, Birmingham, B1 2LF) on Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 July 2008. Please follow the link below for further details: "CBSO Website":http://cbso.co.uk
  
  
  

• Tchaikovsky and Philip Glass  

  Wed 5 May 2010 Symphony Hall

  The Moscow State Symphony Orchestra is one of Russia’s leading orchestras. At the very heart of its repertoire lies Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony - a journey from dark and brooding tragedy to an overwhelming sense of energy and fulfilment. Young British violinist Chloë Hanslip takes centre stage for the clean, pulsating lines of Philip Glass’s unforgettable Violin Concerto. Classic FM’s Anne-Marie Minhall, says of tonight’s recommended concert: _“Philip Glass is one of America’s best-known living composers. His Violin Concerto is a Classic FM favourite. The second movement in particular manages to be both haunting and moving at the same time.”_ 6.15pm Pre-concert talk with Lyndon Jenkins
  *Moscow State Symphony Orchestra* *Pavel Kogan* _conductor_ *Chloë Hanslip* _violin_
  *Borodin* Overture, _Prince Igor_ 11’ *Philip Glass* Violin Concerto 30’ *Tchaikovsky* Symphony No 5 50’
  

• The Treorchy Male Voice Choir In Concert  

  Sat 21 Jun Town Hall

  Treorchy was the first male choir to venture into the uncharted territory of popular music and subsequently the choir has made more than fifty commercial recordings, making it probably the most recorded in the world. The choir has also shared the stage with some of the world’s greatest entertainers during its long and illustrious history including Sir Tom Jones, Ella Fitzgerald, Dame Shirley Bassey, Katherine Jenkins, Ozzy Osbourne, Jon Bon Jovi and McFly. (Please note that the choir area is bench seating, the benches are behind the stage area, and there is limited leg room and no back support.)
  *Jan Ball* Conductor *Iona Jones* Soprano
  
  

• Britten Sinfonia at Lunch  

  Fri 1 Feb 2008 Town Hall

  For this concert, Britten Sinfonia’s quintet of virtuoso wind players take centre stage, joined by pianist Imogen Cooper for a delightful programme of works from three centuries. Beethoven’s Quintet in E flat for Piano and Wind is a wonderful piece, showing Beethoven as a master of classical forms in a work that is at times witty and high-spirited, at times lyrical and expansive. Ravel’s Mother Goose whisks us away to an enchanted land of fairy tales, with a colourful and magical portrayal of characters such as Sleeping Beauty and the Empress of the Pagodas. The 21st century is represented by Cambridge composer Robin Holloway, whose new work is premièred on this tour. "Britten Sinfonia":http://www.brittensinfonia.co.uk
  Imogen Cooper piano Michael Cox flute Nicholas Daniel oboe Joy Farrall clarinet Sarah Burnett bassoon Stephen Bell horn
  Ravel: Mother Goose Suite Robin Holloway: New Work (world première tour) Beethoven: Quintet for Piano & Winds in E flat Op.16
  

• 'AND NOW, THE NEWS'  

  Thu 5 Jun Town Hall

  What soundtrack would you choose to accompany the news? Have you wondered about the music behind the headlines? A new commission by New Guide to Opera (Michael Wolters and Marcus Dross) explores this idea in our increasingly media-driven society, with original music performed to a live broadcast of the BBC News. The performance features students from Birmingham Conservatoire alongside cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, one of the most creative musicians of his generation. Julian will also perform a new work written specifically for him by Howard Goodall. The concert launches both the New Generation Arts Festival and Integra 2008, taking place at Birmingham Conservatoire. Integra works take centre stage in the second half, with the performance of a second commission, by Ed Bennett and Juneau Projects as well as a performance by renowned swedish ensemble Ars Nova and works by Pierre Jodlowski and Kent Oloffson. £10, 60 Plus/Under 16’s/Unwaged £8, Students £2.50 Please note that, owing to the live link with the BBC News, this concert will start promptly at 7pm. Please be seated by 6.55pm.
  *Launch of New Generation Arts Festival and Integra 2008* *Julian Lloyd Webber* _cello_
  
  

• 2.30pm Birmingham City University - Technology Innovation Centre and Business School 2.30pm 

  Mon 11 Feb Symphony Hall

  There is now no restriction on the ticket limit for this graduation
  
  
  

• CBSO Players Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Thu 29 Nov Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  Revueltas: Ocho por Radio Saint-Saëns: Septet for trumpet, piano and strings
  

• Notelets Fairytales 2pm 

  Sun 29 Mar Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  Fairytales - a mini concert for 3-5 year olds and their families at the CBSO Centre. PLEASE NOTE TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE ON THE DOOR SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY
  

• The Nutcracker Irina Kolesnikova with St Petersburg Ballet Theatre 

  Sat 12 Jan Symphony Hall

  Clara and her Nutcracker doll journey to a fantasy Kingdom,where they meet the Mouse King, the Snow Queen and visit the Land of the Sweets. Containing some of his most memorable music in the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Arabian Dance,Tchaikovsky’s memorable score evoking a winter enchantment accompanies them on their magical journey. "The jewel in the crown of SPBT is the ravishingly beautiful Irina Kolesnikova, who rivals any star of the Bolshoi or Kirov in technique and stage artistry.” Mike Dixon, The Stage www.irinakolesnikova.com Artsworld Presentations - www.arts-world.co.uk *SPECIAL OFFER* *The first 50 personal callers at the Town Hall or Symhony Hall Ticket Offices after 10am on Saturday 22 December who buy tickets for The Nutcracker will get one free ballerina mouse toy per transaction.*
  Irina Kolesnikova
  
  

• The Leo Quartet Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Fri 7 Mar 2008 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  Dove: Out of Time Elgar: String Quartet
  

• CBSO Season 2009-10  

  Wed 9 Sep Town Hall & Symphony Hall

  *Public booking opens on Monday 15 June.* For list of concerts please see "www.cbso.co.uk/concerts":http://www.cbso.co.uk/concerts DISCOUNTS FOR CBSO CONCERTS Please note that only one discount can be applied to any ticket. Special offers, discounts and concessions cannot be combined. Concerts which are not promoted by the CBSO may have different discounting policies please check with the Ticket Office at time of booking. CONCERT PACKAGES Buy tickets for 3 or more CBSO concerts at Symphony Hall/Town Hall to start saving and receiving package benefits. GROUP BOOKERS are entitled to a 20% discount for parties of 11 or more and receive one FREE ticket for the group organiser. Groups also benefit from a reservation facility - please call the Group Booking Department on Freephone 0800 358 7070. There is also the opportunity to meet CBSO musicians at concerts; please call Eva Wuestum at the CBSO on 0121 616 6513. FAMILY TICKETS FROM £20: (for Symphony Hall & Town Hall) To qualify for a family ticket, one or two adults must be accompanied by one or more children aged 16 or under, up to a maximum group of six people. Family tickets are available in all areas, and will be allocated subject to availability. Adult family ticket: £15; child family ticket: £5. STUDENTS & YOUNG PEOPLE From 1pm on the day of each evening performance and from 10am for matinée concerts, anyone in fulltime education and young people aged 25 and under can purchase remaining tickets at the discounted price of £4. Proof of eligibility may be required. Please note: the CBSO reserves the right to allocate these tickets in certain areas of the hall. Under our ‘Audiences for Tomorrow’ scheme, the CBSO offers a limited number of tickets at special prices for secondary school groups, subject to availability. Teachers should call Heather Brannan on 0121 616 6546 for information. STANDBY TICKETS Available from 1pm on the day of each evening performance and from 10am for matinée concerts (Symphony Hall & Town Hall concerts), and from CBSO Centre one hour before CBSO Centre performances. Please come early to avoid queues. All standby tickets are issued subject to availability and on production of valid and suitable identification. Please note the CBSO reserves the right to allocate standby tickets in certain areas of the hall. Patrons aged 60+ (Symphony Hall & Town Hall only) receive 10% discount. Patrons who are benefit recipients can purchase tickets for £4 at all venues (qualifying benefits: Income Support, Pension Tax Credit, Job Seekers Allowance and Disability Tax Credit). Holders of ‘Passport to Leisure’ cards can purchase Circle tickets for £21.50, and seats on all other levels for £14 at Symphony Hall and Town Hall (one ticket per Passport holder), and receive £1 off a full-price ticket at CBSO Centre. DISABLED PATRONS: If you have a disability you are entitled to receive 50% discount off full price seats. Should you need the service of a companion, their ticket is also half price. Proof of eligibility may be required. NB Disabled patrons can combine their 50% discount with the additional Concert Package discounts. For further information on facilities for patrons with disabilities, including the infra-red system for the hearing impaired, please contact Symphony Hall (for Symphony Hall/Town Hall) on 0121 780 4949 or CBSO Centre on 0121 616 6532. Receivers are available from the Performance Manager at the concert. Guide dogs welcome. WHEELCHAIR POSITIONS Spaces for patrons who need to remain in their wheelchair during the performance are located on the stalls and upper circle levels of Symphony Hall, stalls & circle levels of Town Hall and are available at CBSO Centre. Please book in advance for Symphony Hall & Town Hall by calling 0121 780 4949 during opening hours. CAR PARKING: Limited space is available at all three venues for Blue Badge holders driving their own vehicles. When reserving a space you will be asked for your Blue Badge number, vehicle registration, concert date and contact details. Symphony Hall: please contact the Box Office on 0121 780 3333. For requests of three or more dates, please obtain a booking form from the Box Office (call 0121 780 3333). Town Hall: please contact Stage Door on 0121 644 5039. CBSO Centre: call 0121 616 6532 to reserve parking in advance. For concerts at Town Hall, wheelchair users may also be dropped off outside the building by Paradise Circus. Blue badge parking bays in the vicinity of Town Hall can be found on Margaret Street, Edmund Street and Pinfold Street. This brochure is available free of charge on audio-cassette. Please call 0121 616 6513. RETURNS & RESALES Tickets are accepted at the discretion of the Ticket Office but all CBSO sales take priority. There is a service charge of 10% of the face value and money resulting from a resale will be forwarded by cheque. NB only cash or cheques will be accepted in payment for returns. LOST TICKETS Please note there is a £2 charge for printing duplicate tickets.
  
  
  

• Julia Beisswanger violin, Jacqueline Tyler cello, Caroline Palmer piano Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Tue 18 Mar 2008 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  Beethoven: Kakadu Variations Saint-Saëns: Piano Trio No. 1
  

• Notelets Music for the Screen 2pm 

  Sun 21 Jun Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  Music for the Screen - a mini concert for 3-5 year olds and their families, featuring favourite tunes from children’s television and film.
  
  
  

• Sakari Oramo violin and CBSO Players Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Fri 14 Dec Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  R. Strauss: Capriccio sextet Tchaikovsky: Souvenir de Florence
  

• Notelets Music for the Screen 11am 

  Sun 21 Jun Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  Music for the Screen - a mini concert for 3-5 year olds and their families, featuring favourite tunes from children’s television and film.
  
  
  

• Notelets Action Stations! 2pm 

  Sat 7 Feb 2009 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  Action Stations! - a mini concert for 3-5 year olds and their families. Come and get active with action songs and music to make you move, for all those fidgety feet!
  
  
  

• DEVO  

  Fri 22 Jun Symphony Hall

  DEVO the American rock group formed in Akron, Ohio in 1972. They are best known for their 1980 hit "Whip It", which made it to #14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Their style has been variously classified as punk, art rock and post-punk, but they are most often remembered for their late 1970s and early 1980s New Wave music which, along with others (such as Gary Numan, Oingo Boingo, and The B-52's) ushered in the synth pop sound of the 1980s. Devo's music and stage show mingle kitsch science fiction themes, deadpan surrealist humor, and mordantly satirical social commentary via sometimes-discordant pop songs that often feature unusual synthetic instrumentation and time signatures, and their work has proved hugely influential on subsequent popular music, particularly New Wave and alternative rock artists. DEVO were also pioneers of the music video, creating many memorable clips that were popular in the early days of MTV, although their use of the video medium dates right back to their very first appearance on stage at Kent State University in 1973, which was recorded with an early b/w portable video system.
  
  
  

• The Leo Ensemble Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Fri 6 Jun Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  Shostakovich: Two Pieces for String Octet, Op.11 Enescu: String Octet
  

• Notelets Beasts, Bugs & Butterflies! 2pm 

  Sun 17 May Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  Beasts, Bugs & Butterflies! - a mini concert for 3-5 year olds and their families. Meet our musical selection of weird and wonderful creatures and creepy-crawlies.
  
  
  

• Notelets Noël Notelets 2pm 

  Sun 7 Dec Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  Noël Notelets - a mini concert for 3-5 year olds and their families. ’Tis the season to be jolly, with festive music and children’s Christmas songs. Please note this performance is currently sold out. Clicking on the below link will take you to the booking page if any returns are available. Alternatively you can call the Box Office on 0121 780 3333 to enquire.
  
  
  

• Orchestra of the Swan: The English Romantic  

  Wed 15 Apr 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
  

• Notelets Beasts, Bugs & Butterflies! 11am 

  Sun 17 May Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  Beasts, Bugs & Butterflies! - a mini concert for 3-5 year olds and their families. Meet our musical selection of weird and wonderful creatures and creepy-crawlies.
  
  
  

• Andrew Taylor: The Public City  

  Mon 16 Jun Town Hall

  Andrew Taylor, with an invited panel, will discuss the nature of cities as public places, showing how European cities, from Venice to Barcelona, have achieved their greatness through their parks and public spaces. Andrew is a founding partner of Patel Taylor, a practice distinguished by its commitment to particularity of place and a passion to make the urban fabric more human. The practice has gained recognition for projects, including thames barrier park and Old Market Square Nottingham, where architecture, landscape and urban design are integrated into a seamless whole. In 2006, from an international shortlist of 6, Patel Taylor won Birmingham City Council’s competition to design the Eastside Urban Park which will be Birmingham’s first city park for over a century. Tickets £5 The talk will be for 30 minutes then Philip Singleton, Acting Assistant Director city centre development and design will chair a 30 minute panel discussion with questions from the audience. Talking cities is organised between Birmingham City University, School of Architecture and made, the Regional Aarchitecture Centre in the West Midlands. Sponsored by Atkins.
  *Talking Cities Urban Design Public Lecture Series*
  
  

• CBSO Cellos Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Thu 10 Apr 2008 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  Lollipops for Cello Quartet including Pachelbel’s Canon, Albinoni’s Adagio, and Rachmaninov’s Vocalise.
  

• National Festival of Music for Youth - 8th July  

  Tue 8 Jul Symphony Hall

  Admission subject to availability on arrival at the venue.
  Please Note: Day tickets are not valid for Singposium at the CBSO Centre & the Rock, Pop and Urban Festival at the Carling Academy 2.
  Events are taking place at Symphony Hall, Town Hall & Adrian Boult Hall
  

• Talking Cities: Urban Design Lecture Series Robert West: People Shaping Places, Kings Cross Central 

  Mon 20 Oct Town Hall

  Birmingham’s Big City Plan is set to transform the city centre. As the regeneration goes ahead, should the citizen’s of Birmingham be involved in the shaping of its city’s public spaces? Learning from the experiences of Kings Cross, one of London’s most ambitious regeneration schemes, Bob West, Head of Urban Design and Renewal at Camden Council will reflect on the award-winning community engagement process. Bob will talk for 45 minutes followed by 15 minutes for discussion. Bob is the winner of the Mayor of London Planning Award 2008 for Best Personal Contribution to Planning for his commitment to the regeneration of the Kings Cross Area. The ambitious masterplan will deliver a mixed use development with new office buildings, the restoration and refurbishment of 20 historic buildings and structures, 2,000 homes, 20 new streets, and 10 new major public spaces. Talking Cities is the 2008 Urban Design Public Lecture series organised between Birmingham City University, School of Architecture and MADE, the Regional Architecture Centre in the West Midlands. £5 with concessions for students. Sponsored by Aitkins
  
  
  

• Notelets Noël Notelets 11am 

  Sun 7 Dec Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  Noël Notelets - a mini concert for 3-5 year olds and their families. ’Tis the season to be jolly, with festive music and children’s Christmas songs. Please note this performance is currently sold out. Clicking on the below link will take you to the booking page if any returns are available. Alternatively you can call the Box Office on 0121 780 3333 to enquire.
  
  
  

• CBSO Players: Der Getreue Musik Meister Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Thu 15 Nov Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  CBSO players (on period instruments)
  Chamber music by Georg Philipp Telemann (including his Gulliver suite)
  

• Maria João Pires Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Cancelled

  Fri 18 Apr 2008 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  Maria João Pires piano and CBSO Players
  Programme to be announced
  

• CBSO Players Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Wed 26 Sep Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  Dag Wirén: String Quartet No. 4 Sibelius: String Quartet in D minor (Voces Intimae)
  

• CBSO Schools' Concert - Enigma Variations  

  Thu 21 Jan 2010 Symphony Hall

  Key Stage 3 and 4 Please note that this replaces the previously advertised schools' concerts on 15 April 2010
  *City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra* *Edward Gardner* _conductor_
  *Elgar* _Enigma Variations_
  

• CBSO Schools' Concert - Enigma Variations  

  Thu 21 Jan 2010 Symphony Hall

  Key Stage 2 Please note that this replaces the previously advertised schools' concerts on 15 April 2010
  *City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra* *Edward Gardner* _conductor_
  *Elgar* _Enigma Variations_
  

• Laurence Jackson violin, Ulrich Heinen cello, Robert Markham piano Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Thu 22 May 2008 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  Schubert: Nocturne, D. 897 Beethoven: Piano Trio in B flat (Archduke)
  

• CBSO Players Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Thu 8 Nov Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  Hummel: Quintet in E flat, Op. 87 Schubert: Quintet in A (The Trout)
  

• The RAF in Concert  

  Wed 28 Oct Symphony Hall

  A memorable evening is guaranteed as leading RAF musicians present a magical mix of popular classics from the stage and screen, rousing military music plus big band numbers performed by the legendary swing band The Squadronaires. The 2009 Royal Air Force in Concert tour welcomes back popular soloist Flying Officer Matthew Little and singer Emma Kershaw who will sprinkle the evening with some West End stardust, singing songs from Les Miserables and Cabaret before sharing the stage for a ‘secret’ 007 medley! Compered by Ian Lavender, best known for his role as Private Pike in the BBC’s Dad’s Army, the Royal Air Force in Concert includes toe-tapping Glenn Miller melodies and an Armed Forces Salute, featuring popular theme tunes from some of the greatest war movies ever including _The Great Escape_ and _A Bridge Too Far_. Add to these classical favourites such as Orff’s stirring _Carmina Burana_ and Elgar’s _Pomp and Circumstance_ and there is all the ingredients for a perfect night out for all the family. The Royal Air Force in Concert is held in support of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, which helps fund projects and initiatives that inspire young people to be ‘air-minded’, improve the well-being of current Service personnel as well as assisting the wider RAF family of charities.
  
  
  

• Montpellier String Trio Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Wed 10 Oct Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  Haydn: Trio in G Hob.XVI: 40 Kodály: Intermezzo Joubert: String Trio
  

• Peter Donohoe piano and CBSO Players Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Thu 21 Feb 2008 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  Bartók: Contrasts Bridge: Piano Quintet
  

• An Evening with Art Garfunkel  

  Thu 9 Oct Symphony Hall

  Art Garfunkel has made an incredible mark on the music world, both as a solo artist and as half of the unrivaled Simon & Garfunkel. He has enjoyed a successful film career, published a book of poetry and has also released several solo albums. Symphony Hall is hugely excited to be welcoming this musical legend to the stage. £35
  
  
  

• Town Hall, Birmingham and World War II  

  Mon 2 Nov Town Hall

  During the wars, Town Hall was used as an army recruitment centre, sandbagged against enemy action, and hosted patriotic meetings featuring Churchill and Chamberlain. Professor Carl Chinn presents an illustrated talk, with live music from the period provided by Garry Allcock and his All-Stars Band.
  
  
  

• Town Hall, Birmingham and World War II  

  Mon 2 Nov Town Hall

  During the wars, Town Hall was used as an army recruitment centre, sandbagged against enemy action, and hosted patriotic meetings featuring Churchill and Chamberlain. Professor Carl Chinn presents an illustrated talk, with live music from the period provided by Garry Allcock and his All-Stars Band.
  
  
  

• National Festival of Music for Youth Open/Music Centre; National Jazz Festival 

  Saturday 14 July 07 Symphony Hall

  Admission subject to availability on arrival at the venue
  
  
  

• Marie-Christine Zupancic flute, Richard Jenkinson cello, Benjamin Frith piano Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Thu 29 May 2008 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  Weber: Flute Trio Martinu : Flute Trio Kapustin: Flute Trio (In Jazz Style)
  

• CBSO Players Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Tue 1 Apr 2008 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  Walton: String Quartet Beethoven: String Quartet in C minor, Op. 18, No. 4
  

• CBSO Players Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Thu 8 May 2008 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  Haydn: String Quartet in D minor, Op. 42 Brahms: String Quartet No. 1
  

• A Palm Court Christmas Party! Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Fri 21 Dec Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  The Berkley Salon Ensemble & City of Birmingham Symphony Youth Chorus (Seniors)
  

• Semi-Finals of the Robert William and Florence Amy Brant International Pianoforte Competition  

  Sun 21 Jun Town Hall

  An annual event, which is open to pianists of any nationality who are between 20 and 28 years old and resident in Great Britain. The Semi-Finals comprise up to eight competitors (selected at the CBSO Centre on Saturday 20 June) who will play a Beethoven Sonata and a work composed after 1960. See 27 June (page 17) for the Finals.
  
  
  

• CBSO Players Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Fri 19 Oct Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  Mozart: Flute Quartet No. 1, K. 285 Debussy: Sonata for flute, viola and harp Ravel: Introduction and Allegro
  

• An Evening of Music & Dance with the Royal Ballet Sinfonia and Birmingham Royal Ballet  

  Fri 18 Apr Symphony Hall

  *The Royal Ballet Sinfonia (The Orchestra of Birmingham Royal Ballet) with Principals from Birmingham Royal Ballet* The Royal Ballet Sinfonia take centre stage for this concert, presenting a one-night-only evening of ballet music. Guests from Birmingham Royal Ballet join the musicians onstage to perform selected previews of the forthcoming summer and autumn seasons, as well as pieces being presented exclusively for this event. Danced extracts include movements from Giselle (Adolphe Adam and Marius Petipa), Card Game (Igor Stravinsky and John Cranko) and Concerto (Dmitri Shostakovich and Kenneth Macmillan). Other music being performed includes Pavane pour une enfant défunte (Maurice Ravel) and Candide: Overture (Leonard Bernstein). With presenter Brian Kay. Adults £9, £13.50, £17.50, £21.50, £25, 28.50 60 plus/students £9, £12.50, £16, £20, £22.50, £26
  
  Candide: Overture Music: Leonard Bernstein Card Game: Third Deal Music: Igor Stravinsky Choreography: John Cranko Concerto: Pas de deux Music: Dmitri Shostakovich Choreography: Kenneth MacMillan Elgen a Maygar! polka Music: Johann Strauss II English Folksong Suite: March Music: Ralph Vaughan-Williams Giselle: Act II pas de deux Music: Adolphe Adam Choreography: Marius Petipa London Suite: Knightsbridge March Music: Eric Coates Pavane pour une enfant défunte Music: Maurice Ravel Raymonda Act III pas de trois and solos Music: Alexander Glazunov Choregraphy: Rudolf Nureyev Spring Waters pas de deux Music: Sergey Rachmaninov Choreography: Asaf Messerer Tchaikovsky pas de deux Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Choreography: George Balanchine Valse de concert Music: Alexander Glazunov Voices of Spring Music: Johann Strauss II Choreography: Frederick Ashton Lighting: Mark Jonathan Wasps Overture Music: Ralph Vaughan-Williams
  

• Barbara Dickson Live in Concert 

  Wed 27 Feb 2008 Town Hall

  2008 will see Barbara Dickson celebrating 40 years as a professional musician. As a multimillion selling recording artist with an equally impressive Olivier award-winning acting career, Barbara has firmly established herself as one of the most versatile performers in the UK. Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy her tremendous talent live on stage.
  
  
  

• Town Hall 175TH Anniversary A short series of events celebrating Town Hall's heritage 

  Sat 3 Oct Town Hall

  2009 marks the 175th Anniversary of Town Hall, which has been at the centre of British musical life since the day it opened in October 1834. Join us in celebrating the Hall's magnificent heritage.
  
  
  

• Jason Donovan The Greatest Hits and More Tour 

  Sat 26 May Symphony Hall

  Jason Donovan is fresh out of the Jungle and on tour in the UK! After a varied and successful career, acting on both stage and screen and as a solo artist with over 13 million sales, Jason is back doing what he does best. With his new material and classic hits Nothing Can Divide Us and Especially For You, you'll realise all over again why Jason was the biggest selling artist in both the UK and Europe in the nineties.
  
  
  

• Back to the Musicals  

  Sun 18 Jan 2009 Symphony Hall

  300 singers from around the region present a spectacular evening's entertainment from the West End and Broadway, celebrating 10 years of the very best of Sing Live UK. Featuring hits from the timeless _Les Miserables, My Fair Lady, Sweet Charity_ and _Chess_ - to the new sensational stage successes _Wicked, Hairspray, Tarzan_ and _Spamalot_ plus many more.
  *Sing Live Central* *Steven Roberts* musical director
  
  

• Jason Donovan Greatest Hits & More Tour  

  Mon 30 Apr Symphony Hall

  Jason Donovan is fresh out of the Jungle and on tour in the UK! After a varied and successful career, acting on both stage and screen and as a solo artist with over 13 million sales, Jason is back doing what he does best.
  Jason Donovan
  With his new material and classic hits Nothing Can Divide Us and Especially For You, you'll realise all over again why Jason was the biggest selling artist in both the UK and Europe in the nineties.
  

• David Essex plus support 

  Wed 18 Jun Symphony Hall

  Relive the magic of David Essex live in concert at Symphony Hall. Since the 70s right up to the current day, David has been a national treasure and has captured many thousands of hearts as an accomplished stage and screen star as well as a chart topping singer. This concert brings together all the favourite hits including _Hold Me Close_, _Gonna Make You A Star_ and his debut hit _Rock On_, together with tracks from his latest album.
  
  
  

• Russell Watson No Support 

  Sun 15 Jun Symphony Hall

  Russell Watson will be making an emotional and welcome return to the stage on a brand new UK tour. Russell will be performing a mixture of his well-loved songs and new material from his latest album _Outside In_, a release which sees him tackling iconic repertoire with a maturing singing voice. With a voice which is now better and more powerful than ever, Russell continues to prove that he can imbue popular songs as well as classical arias with his own unique style and grace.
  
  
  

• The Frith Piano Quartet Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Wed 30 Jan 2008 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  Walton: Piano Quartet Schumann: Piano Quartet
  

• The Brindley Quartet Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Thu 7 Feb 2008 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 7 Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No. 1
  

• Alina Pogostkina violin and CBSO Players Lunchtime concerts at the CBSO Centre 

  Fri 11 Jan 2008 Book through our ticket office for CBSO Centre

  
  
  Brahms: String Quintet No. 2
  

• BROLLY & FRIENDS 2008  

  Sun 29 Jun Symphony Hall

  Bob Brolly, BBC Radio, T.V. presenter and singer brings his popular charity event to Symphony Hall. Joining Brolly on stage will be a whole host of friends including Sean O'Farrell, who joined Bob at the Ricoh last year, comic genius Jimmy Cricket, country star Shawn Cuddy and all the way from Nashville, Tennessee - Scott Shipley who appeared on Brolly's latest album. As usual, the Birmingham Irish Pipes and Drums will start this great night out.
  
  
  

• Tori Amos  

  Mon 7 Sep Symphony Hall

  Tori Amos is known for her emotionally charged hits including _Crucify, Silent All These Years, Cornflake Girl, Spark,_ and _A Sorta Fairytale_. She visits Symphony Hall to mark the release of her stunning new album _Abnormally Attracted To Sin_. Like all Tori’s albums since _Boys For Pele_, it was recorded in Cornwall, England (where she lives). The centre of the album is Amos’s voice, and her Bösendorfer piano, locking in with her touring and recording band of the past five years: guitarist Mac Aladdin, bassist Jon Evans and her longtime drummer and rhythmic foil, Matt Chamberlain.
  
  
  

• Liza Minnelli  

  Wed 4 Jun Symphony Hall

  The world famous Liza Minnelli brings her incredible voice and stage presence to Symphony Hall for one night only. Liza will perform a range of her most successful hits along with a selection of her new releases. Made so famous for roles in _Cabaret_ (1972) and her signature song '_New York, New York_' this will be a truly memorable evening with one of the greatest voices in music. Tickets will not be posted until 7-10 days before the event.
  
  Production seats just released, there is now availablity in various areas.
  

• Women In Music Festival - Birmingham  

  Cancelled

  Town Hall

  *12.30pm - 7pm* The extended celebration of International Women’s Day, WIMFB offers an array of female performers as they take to the stage this Mothering Sunday to share their artistic talent through entertainment. The marking of this second festival welcomes both local and international artists to the bill, with the special crowning of the new Ambassador for the Women In Music Festival - Birmingham. Admission FREE. (Tickets available on the door.) *This event is now taking place at the Recital Hall at Birmingham Conservatoire from 2-7pm.*
  
  
  

• Only Men Aloud! plus special guests  

  Mon 4 May Symphony Hall

  In 2008 Only Men Aloud! entered what was to be the UK's biggest choir competition to date, with UK choirs battling to become voted the best choir in the UK on BBC 1 hit Saturday night show _Last Choir Standing_. After battling through the rounds, OMA! gave some incredible performances and after an all Welsh Final, were crowned the winners and the nation’s favourite choir. After selling out 2 shows at the Wales Millennium Centre in December, Only Men Aloud! are embarking on a 12 date spring 2009 UK tour. Please note this performance is currently sold out. Clicking on the below link will take you to the booking page if retuns are available. Alternatively you can call the Box Office on 0121 780 3333 to enquire.
  
  
  

• Free Piano Recital  

  Cancelled

  Fri 14 Nov Symphony Hall

  Ahead of this evening’s concert at 7.30pm the successful finalist in this year’s Symphony Hall-Birmingham Conservatoire Competition takes the stage to give her prize-winning recital. This annual prize is open to advanced music students of the Conservatoire and invariably produces top-quality performers. Tatiana’s programme will include music by Rachmaninov, Chopin and Brahms. Admission FREE
  
  
  

• David Guest Is Nuts ***CANCELLED***  

  Cancelled

  Wed 12 Mar Symphony Hall

  *Due to circumstances beyond our control this show has been cancelled. Please call the ticket office on 0121 780 3333 for a refund. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.* Television star and producer David Gest stars in his first musical play/concert encompassing the story of his life with comedy and music. He became a national treasure after his appearance on _I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here_ and his appearance as host of _The Friday Night Project_ showed that he can easily hold his own on stage.
  
  
  

• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Performed by Clive Francis  

  Mon 7 Dec Town Hall

  In December 1853 Dickens chose A Christmas Carol for his first ever public reading, in Town Hall, where “notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, nearly 2,000 persons had assembled.” Clive Francis recreates the occasion, filling the stage with an entire Dickensian landscape. “Clive Francis as Scrooge is spellbinding” said the Sunday Times.
  
  
  

• An Evening with Steve Earle with special guest Allison Moorer 

  Tue 29 Jan 2008 Town Hall

  The American singer-songwriter comes to Town Hall following the release of his new album _Washington Square Serenade_. The album follows _Jerusalem_ and _The Revolution Starts...Now_, two masterpieces that show that Earle is as much a master at capturing the current political mood as he is writing powerful rock and country music. PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO DEMAND TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN THE CHOIR BENCHES WHICH ARE BEHIND THE STAGE. THESE SEATS HAVE A RESTRICTED VIEW AND ARE PRICED AT £17.50 EACH. All seats £22.50
  
  
  

• Dorridge Music School In Concert  

  Sun 19 Oct Symphony Hall

  A night of music, song and dance presented by Dorridge Music School. Following the success of last year’s 21st anniversary concert, students and staff will perform music to suit all tastes live on stage using drums, guitars, flutes, violins, pianos, saxes plus the Symphony Hall Organ. With a guest choir and 3 local dance schools, music includes everything from Land of Hope and Glory to Michael Jackson’s Thriller! Varied entertainment for the whole family.
  
  
  

• Sing the Ultimate Movies with Sing Live Central 

  Sun 20 Jan 2008 Symphony Hall

  Sing Live Central are back with an unforgettable vocal extravaganza. Over 250 local singers hit the Symphony Hall Stage performing songs from _Fame_, _Dirty Dancing_, _Star Wars_, and _The Lion King_ to name just a few. Kevin Miles ‘the voice of Disney’ guides the audience through an evening celebrating some of the biggest and latest hits from the movies.
  
  *Barry Todd* Musical Director *National Festival Orchestra*
  

• 10.30am Birmingham City University - Law, Humanities, Development and Society 10.30am 

  Fri 15 Feb Symphony Hall

  Due to an unprecedented demand all guest tickets for this ceremony have now sold out. In addition to the internet broadcast of the Awards Ceremonies, the University has arranged for this Award Ceremony to be broadcast live to Hall 8 within the International Convention Centre. This is in the same building as Symphony Hall and friends and family will be able to watch the ceremony as it is broadcast live. Entry to this Hall is free of charge. Please contact Academic Registry on 0121 331 6509 to confirm the number of guests that you wish to attend the broadcast. Alternatively you may wish to email natasha.cochrane@bcu.ac.uk with the name of the graduating student, the ceremony broadcast that you will be attending and the number of guests that you will be bringing.
  
  
  

• Will Young plus special guests 

  Mon 8 Dec Symphony Hall

  Will's performance, as well as featuring many favourites from his enviable back-catalogue, will centre around his stunning new album. Released September 29th, _Let It Go_ plays to Will's strengths whilst also pushing him in exciting new directions, melding soul, disco and that extraordinary voice with good old-fashioned pop to create his most arresting record to date. The effervescent new single _Changes_ (released September 14th) provides an excellent introduction to his new material and whets the appetite for what will surely become the soundtrack to winter 2008. *Please note this performance is currently sold out. Clicking on the below link will take you to the booking page if any returns are available.* Alternatively you can call the Box Office on 0121 780 3333 to enquire.
  
  
  

• Will Young plus special guests 

  Sun 7 Dec Symphony Hall

  Will's performance, as well as featuring many favourites from his enviable back-catalogue, will centre around his stunning new album. Released September 29th, _Let It Go_ plays to Will's strengths whilst also pushing him in exciting new directions, melding soul, disco and that extraordinary voice with good old-fashioned pop to create his most arresting record to date. The effervescent new single _Changes_ (released September 14th) provides an excellent introduction to his new material and whets the appetite for what will surely become the soundtrack to winter 2008. *Please note this performance is currently sold out. Clicking on the below link will take you to the booking page if any returns are available.* Alternatively you can call the Box Office on 0121 780 3333 to enquire.
  
  
  

• Chris Rea - The Return Of The Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes With support Paul Casey 

  Sun 23 Mar Symphony Hall

  Symphony Hall will certainly be ‘rocking’ as Chris Rea brings back his guitar and vocal prowess to the stage once again with a newly formed quintet. This one off ‘blues rock’ performance is inspired by Rea’s idol, sixties legend BB King. Rea explains ‘That is the music that I have always wanted to play: real, genuine guitar music.’ After selling more than 30 million CD’s worldwide make sure you don’t miss one of his last sell-out tours when the fittingly dubbed ‘smoky-voice’ of eighties rock visits Birmingham this March.
  
  
  

• Chris Rea - The Return Of The Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes With support Paul Casey 

  Sat 22 Mar Symphony Hall

  Symphony Hall will certainly be ‘rocking’ as Chris Rea brings back his guitar and vocal prowess to the stage once again with a newly formed quintet. This one off ‘blues rock’ performance is inspired by Rea’s idol, sixties legend BB King. Rea explains ‘That is the music that I have always wanted to play: real, genuine guitar music.’ After selling more than 30 million CD’s worldwide make sure you don’t miss one of his last sell-out tours when the fittingly dubbed ‘smoky-voice’ of eighties rock visits Birmingham this March.
  
  
  

• 2.30pm Birmingham City University - Faculty of Health  

  Mon 4 Feb Symphony Hall

  Due to an unprecedented demand all guest tickets for this ceremony have now sold out. In addition to the internet broadcast of the Awards Ceremonies, the University has arranged for this Award Ceremony to be broadcast live to Hall 8 within the International Convention Centre. This is in the same building as Symphony Hall and friends and family will be able to watch the ceremony as it is broadcast live. Entry to this Hall is free of charge. Please contact Academic Registry on 0121 331 6509 to confirm the number of guests that you wish to attend the broadcast. Alternatively you may wish to email natasha.cochrane@bcu.ac.uk with the name of the graduating student, the ceremony broadcast that you will be attending and the number of guests that you will be bringing. PLEASE NOTE THIS GRADUATION STARTS AT 2.30PM
  
  
  

• Meet the Associates  

  Sat 13 Sep Town Hall

  As part of the ArtsFest weekend we’re offering free showcase performances from the Town Hall Associate Artists: 1pm - 2pm *Black Voices* showcase The inspirational female vocal quintet 2.30pm - 3.30pm *BBC Big Band* showcase Conducted by Barry Forgie, Britain’s finest big band is on stage with jazz and swing classics 4pm - 5pm *Ex Cathedra* choir showcase Beautiful and uplifting singing from Birmingham’s premier choir Admission FREE
  
  
  

• The RAF in Concert  

  Wed 17 Oct Symphony Hall

  An enchanting evening of musical magic is guaranteed when the Bands of the Royal Air Force take to the stage as part of their prestigious annual tour. See some of the UK’s finest ensemble musicians - and soloists - perform a richly textured programme featuring stirring sounds from yesteryear, building up to a rousing Last Night of the Proms-style finale. TV soap star William Roache MBE, a former Captain in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, will compere.
  *The Royal Air Force Bands and its Squadronnaires* *Wing Commander Stuart Stirling* Conductor *William Roache* (Coronation Street) Compere
  
  

• Symphony Ballroom!  

  Sat 16 May Symphony Hall

  *Please note that, due to the 'National March for Jobs', the following road closures are planned in Birmingham City Centre on Saturday 16 May:* *Highfield Rd from 09.00 until 13.00* *Hagley Rd and Broad St (up to Sheepcote St) from 10.00 to 15.00* *Broad Street (from Sheepcote St to Paradise Circus) 11.00 to 15.00* Dust off those sequins, put on your dancing shoes... after last year’s sell-out performances, Symphony Ballroom is back! The CBSO’s symphonic big band, together with inspirational arranger/conductor John Wilson, will once again be joined by dancers from BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing for a show that combines great music, great dancing and is bound to get your toes tapping.
  John Wilson - conductor Camilla Dallerup - dancer Ian Waite - dancer
  
  

• Festival of Polish Folklore  

  Sun 1 Mar Symphony Hall

  All over the world where there are Polish people, they keep to their old traditions and encourage a sense of belonging and roots. One of the most colourful and fun ways of doing this is through song and dance. The colour, excitement and spectacle of Polish dance and music can be seen at Symphony Hall: over two days the UK's largest gathering of Polish folk performers, featuring 12 groups and over 300 performers from across the UK, will take to stage to bring Polish culture alive. From the fiery elegance and grandeur of national dance, the Krakowiak, to the acrobatic feats of strength found in the rural dances of the Carpathian Mountains, the 7th Festival of Polish Folklore in Great Britain has it all. £15
  
  
  

• Changing Lifestyles Exhibition - 3 Day Ticket  

  Mon 2 Feb Town Hall

  Take control of your lifestyle changes at this one-stop ecological event. Changing Lifestyles brings together challenges and solutions in food, fashion, fuel, finance, so that in turbulent times you can make environmentally sound choices without sacrificing quality or style. The future is local and looks and tastes good! Special guests include, Seiji Mukai, director of the Nagoya carbon & technology exchanges and advisor to the Japanese government on environmental matters, and Nicola Giuggioli, CEO to Colin Firth’s eco age centre in Chiswick. Special events include the launch of the midlands eco partnership for business on 3 February and the launch of food DVD .A Taste of Six Counties on 4 February. There will also be daily food and energy saving demonstrations and eco fashion displays each evening.
  
  
  

• Festival of Polish Folklore  

  Sat 28 Feb Symphony Hall

  All over the world where there are Polish people, they keep to their old traditions and encourage a sense of belonging and roots. One of the most colourful and fun ways of doing this is through song and dance. The colour, excitement and spectacle of Polish dance and music can be seen at Symphony Hall: over two days the UK's largest gathering of Polish folk performers, featuring 12 groups and over 300 performers from across the UK, will take to stage to bring Polish culture alive. From the fiery elegance and grandeur of national dance, the Krakowiak, to the acrobatic feats of strength found in the rural dances of the Carpathian Mountains, the 7th Festival of Polish Folklore in Great Britain has it all.
  
  
  

• A Debate on Climate Change  

  Tue 14 Oct Town Hall

  
  *The Lunar Society* *Sir Michael Lyons* Chair
  Should Birmingham be planning a radical response to climate change? Sir Michael Lyons will chair a Question Time-style discussion between the audience and an invited panel on the impacts of climate change. The panel includes David Henderson, former OECD Chief Economist, Nigel Lawson, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Professor Jacquie McGlade, Executive Director of the European Environmental Agency, Kevin Anderson of the Tyndall Centre, Michael Meacher MP and Julian Morris of the International Policy Network. £5, 60 plus/full-time students/unwaged £3.50 This debate is hosted by the Lunar Society and sponsored by Martineau Johnson.
  

• The Sound of the Musicals  

  Fri 28 Dec Symphony Hall

  World famous hits from the greatest Broadway and West End Shows.
  *Richard Balcombe* Conductor London's West End stage vocalists; *Maria Kesselman* *Sally Ann Triplett* *Martin Crewes* *James Graeme* *London Concert Chorus* *London Concert Orchestra*
  *Programme to include hits from;* Evita Chicargo The Sound of Music Barnum Jesus Christ Superstar Guys and Dolls West Side Story Les Miserables A Chorus Line The Phantom of the Opera Annie Get you Gun My Fair Lady Kiss Me Kate Caberet Mack and Mable Chess High Society Oklahoma
  

• I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue Special Guest host Jack Dee 

  Mon 28 Sep Symphony Hall

  Following two sell-out tours in 2007 and 2008, BBC Radio’s multi award-winning antidote to panel games starts an all-new touring stage show for 2009. Join Barry Cryer, Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Jeremy Hardy and special guest host Jack Dee for an unmissable evening of inspired nonsense. Colin Sell provides piano accompaniment. _“Whether the teams are singing the words of one song to the tune of another, making up serial rhymes or entering the mythic maze of Mornington Crescent, they have now become the National Theatre of fun”_ Gillian Reynolds, Daily Telegraph
  
  
  

• CBSO Schools Concert: Tales of the Arabian Nights  

  Fri 25 Jun 2010 Symphony Hall

  Rimsky-Korsakov’s most popular work is the music for today’s Schools Concert, specially devised for Key Stage 2 (Years 3 & 4) students. Based around the ancient tales of the Arabian Nights, the colourful sounds of the full symphony orchestra will transport young imaginations to far-off lands. We conjure up the world of a skilful storyteller - the clever and beautiful Sultana Scheherazade - for adventures at sea with Sinbad the sailor, festivals in Baghdad, and young Princes and Princesses falling in love. Visit the "CBSO website":http://www.cbso.co.uk
  *City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra*
  
  

• CBSO Schools Concert: Tales of the Arabian Nights  

  Fri 25 Jun 2010 Symphony Hall

  Rimsky-Korsakov’s most popular work is the music for today’s Schools Concert, specially devised for Key Stage 2 (Years 3 & 4) students. Based around the ancient tales of the Arabian Nights, the colourful sounds of the full symphony orchestra will transport young imaginations to far-off lands. We conjure up the world of a skilful storyteller - the clever and beautiful Sultana Scheherazade - for adventures at sea with Sinbad the sailor, festivals in Baghdad, and young Princes and Princesses falling in love. Visit the "CBSO website":http://www.cbso.co.uk
  *City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra*
  
  

• The Sound of the Musicals  

  Sun 28 Dec Symphony Hall

  _Following last year’s huge success!_ Another selection of greatest hits from some of the most colourful shows from Broadway and the West End.
  With dazzling stars from London’s West End Stage *Deborah Myers* *James Graeme* *Sally Ann Triplett* *Mike Sterling* Richard Balcombe _conductor_ Metro Voices London Concert Orchestra
  Jesus Christ Superstar Phantom of the Opera The Sound of Music Annie Get Yer Gun Mack and Mabel West Side Story Guys and Dolls Les Miserables A Chorus Line Kiss Me Kate My Fair Lady High Society Oklahoma Carousel Cabaret Chicago Barnum Joseph Chess Evita
  

• Schools Concert: The Planets  

  Fri 1 Feb 2008 Symphony Hall

  Head for the stars in this concert with some of the best moments from Holst’s The Planets Suite, including Mars: The Bringer of War, Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity and Mercury: The Winged Messenger. Today’s performances are devised especially to introduce Key Stage 2 students (years 5 and 6) to the spectacular sights and sounds of a symphony orchestra. For information on pre-concert support packages for schools, please contact the CBSO’s Education Department by email (education@cbso.co.uk) or telephone (0121 616 6500). Teachers are also invited to contact the CBSO for details of other opportunities for schools available under our Education and Community programme.
  Michael Seal conductor Tommy Pearson presenter
  
  

• Schools Concert: The Planets  

  Fri 1 Feb 2008 Symphony Hall

  Head for the stars in this concert with some of the best moments from Holst’s The Planets Suite, including Mars: The Bringer of War, Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity and Mercury: The Winged Messenger. Today’s performances are devised especially to introduce Key Stage 2 students (years 5 and 6) to the spectacular sights and sounds of a symphony orchestra. For information on pre-concert support packages for schools, please contact the CBSO’s Education Department by email (education@cbso.co.uk) or telephone (0121 616 6500). Teachers are also invited to contact the CBSO for details of other opportunities for schools available under our Education and Community programme.
  Michael Seal conductor Tommy Pearson presenter
  
  

• The Sleeping Beauty Irina Kolesnikova with St Petersburg Ballet Theatre 

  Sun 4 Jan 2009 Symphony Hall

  Irina Kolesnikova stars as Princess Aurora as this classic tale is brought to life on Symphony Hall stage. The cast of gifted young dancers hail from St Petersburg, the city where Tchaikovsky first presented this work to the public. The ballet contains the glorious _Rose Adagio_, and _Grand Pas de deux classique_, Tchaikovsky himself called his masterpiece ‘a dancing symphony’. “_Irina Kolesnikova embodies the role of Aurora almost perfectly_” *The Irish Times* Click "here":http://www.thsh.co.uk/page/contact-us/press-office/a-new-year-treat-for-ballet-fans/ for the event press release in our Press Office section.
  
  
  

• CBSO Schools' Concert Sleeping Beauty 

  27 June 2007 Symphony Hall

  The CBSO presents a concert specially devised for Key Stage 2 students in years 3 and 4, based around Tchaikovsky's timeless ballet music for _The Sleeping Beauty_. The classic fairy tale features the beautiful Princess Aurora, sentenced to sleep for one hundred years by the evil fairy Carabosse having been pricked by a poisoned needle, but awakened by a kiss from the handsome Prince Florimund. For information on pre-concert support packages for schools, please email education@cbso.co.uk or call 0121 616 6500.
  *Joseph Wolfe* Conductor *Tommy Pearson* Presenter
  Times: 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM
  

• Schools Concert: Pictures At An Exhibition  

  Thu 26 Jun 2008 Symphony Hall

  Mussorgsky’s epic tour through a Russian picture gallery provides the inspiration for this introduction to the symphony orchestra, specially devised for Key Stage 2 students (years 3 and 4). From old castles and catacombs, through farm carts and bustling markets, to the Great Gate of Kiev, this colourful music should set young imaginations on fire. For information on pre-concert support packages for schools, please contact the CBSO’s Education Department by emai(education@cbso.co.uk) or telephone (0121 616 6500). Teachers are also invited to contact the CBSO for details of other opportunities available to schools under our Education and Community programme.
  Xian Zhang conductor Tommy Pearson presenter
  
  

• Schools Concert: Pictures At An Exhibition  

  Thu 26 Jun 2008 Symphony Hall

  Mussorgsky’s epic tour through a Russian picture gallery provides the inspiration for this introduction to the symphony orchestra, specially devised for Key Stage 2 students (years 3 and 4). From old castles and catacombs, through farm carts and bustling markets, to the Great Gate of Kiev, this colourful music should set young imaginations on fire. For information on pre-concert support packages for schools, please contact the CBSO’s Education Department by emai(education@cbso.co.uk) or telephone (0121 616 6500). Teachers are also invited to contact the CBSO for details of other opportunities available to schools under our Education and Community programme.
  Xian Zhang conductor Tommy Pearson presenter
  
  

• My First Carol Concert With Milkshake Live! 

  Sat 13 Dec Symphony Hall

  This Christmas treat your little ones to a unique yuletide concert hosted by their favorite Milkshake TV characters and presenters. For the first time ever, Milkshake Live brings together classic Christmas songs and festive fun in an enchanting concert for the whole family to enjoy. The popular Milkshake TV characters and presenters are joined by a fantastic 30 piece orchestra LIVE on stage! This is a magical opportunity to introduce your children to their first live Christmas concert hosted by one of the most successful children’s TV experiences ever • Milkshake! Including classic Christmas music such as Nutcracker to sing-a-long fun Frosty The Snowman, Jingle Bells, Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer and many more….
  
  
  

• Boogie Pete Live! With Peter Hillier from the BBC show Boogie Beebies 

  Fri 18 Sep Town Hall

  Are you ready to Boogie with Pete from CBeebies Boogie Beebies? The much-loved Peter Hillier will take to the stage this Spring with his new show Boogie Pete Live! Join Pete as he shows you some moves, some magic and some silliness in this fun packed show! Come and join in with all your favourite songs and dances; _GO, GO MANGO, HEY MONKEY, OCEAN MOTION_ and many, many more. _“... it is in short, perfect television. What makes it is the presenter Pete Hillier, engaging and warm and the children love him”_ *The Guardian* _“A children’s television presenter at his best”_ *Daily Express*
  
  
  

• CBSO Summer Concert - CBSO Youth Orchestra Academy  

  Sun 10 Aug Town Hall

  When the CBSO Youth Orchestra Academy, the virtuoso chamber orchestra drawn from the CBSO’s acclaimed Youth Orchestra, gave its first concert last September, the critics were unanimous. “Rapture was really the only natural response,” declared The Birmingham Post, going on to describe the Academy as “this jaw-droppingly brilliant group”. Now it steps onto a bigger stage: past meets present, as the stars of tomorrow raise the roof in Birmingham’s most historic music venue.
  *Michael Seal* Conductor *Morgan Szymanski* Guitar
  *Part* Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten *Ligeti* Concert Romanesc *Rodrigo* Concierto de Aranjuez *Beethoven* Symphony No.7
  

• Maximum Rhythm N' Blues  

  Tue 21 Oct Town Hall

  *The Manfreds* (Paul Jones, Mike D’Abo, Mike Hugg, Tom McGuinness, Rob Townsend, Marcus Cliffe & Simon Currie) *plus special guests Alan Price* (The Animals) & Maggie Bell Following numerous critically acclaimed tours and due to public demand, Maximum Rhythm N’ Blues is back, once again boasting some of the finest quality talent ever assembled on one stage. The tour reunites original Manfred members Paul Jones, Mike D’Abo, Tom McGuinness and Mike Hugg. After the successful reunion of The Manfreds in 1991, the band injects all of the enthusiasm back into classics such as Do Wah Diddy Diddy, 5-4-3-2-1 and Mighty Quinn. £21.50
  
  
  

• An Evening With Stephen Stills No Support 

  Wed 15 Oct Symphony Hall

  Legendary guitarist/singer-songwriter Stephen Stills is one of the most influential and enduring figures in rock and roll. He’s the only artist ever to be inducted twice in the same night into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - for The Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash. His work spans five decades, four iconic groups (Manassas and CSN&Y in addition to the two already mentioned), two era-defining anthems - For What It’s Worth and Love The One You’re With, and a rich canon of solo material. Ranked #28 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, Stills also has a trio of album masterpieces on their compendium of The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time: Buffalo Springfield Again, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Déjà Vu.
  Please note: Stephen Stills will be accompanied by a band on stage.
  
  

• Lunchtime Concert: Tatiana Dardykina Symphony Hall - Birmingham Conservatoire Competition Prize Winner's Recital 

  Wed 13 May Town Hall

  The winner of this year's Symphony Hall-Birmingham Conservatoire Competition takes the Town Hall stage to give her prize-winning recital (postponed from last November). This annual prize is open to advanced music students of the Conservatoire and invariably produces top-quality performers. Tatiana is certainly that, and her programme offers a feast of music for lovers of the piano.
  *Tatiana Dardykina* piano
  *Beethoven* Sonata No 32 in C minor, Op111 *Chopin* Scherzo in C sharp minor,Op 39 *Rachmaninov* Prelude No 6 in E flat, Op 23 *Rachmaninov* Etude-Tableau No 5, Op 39 *Rachmaninov* M oments Musicaux Nos 5 and 6, Op 16
  

• Schools Concert: Romeo and Juliet  

  Fri 19 Jun Symphony Hall

  *The CBSO schools' concerts will feature a presentation and performance of Tchaikovsky's Fantasy Overture, _Romeo and Juliet_. Music from _West Side Story_ mentioned in earlier publicity will not now be included in the programme. Each concert will last for one hour* Shakespeare’s tragic love-story inspired many composers as well as young imaginations! Today’s concert specially devised for Key Stage 2 children (Years 3 & 4) features two pieces written in Russia and the USA almost a century apart. Tchaikovsky’s fantasy overture retains Shakespeare’s characters, while Bernstein’s musical West Side Story updates Romeo and Juliet to modern times and the streets of New York.
  Andris Nelsons - conductor Tommy Pearson - presenter City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
  
  

• Schools Concert: Romeo and Juliet  

  Fri 19 Jun Symphony Hall

  *The CBSO schools' concerts will feature a presentation and performance of Tchaikovsky's Fantasy Overture, _Romeo and Juliet_. Music from _West Side Story_ mentioned in earlier publicity will not now be included in the programme. Each concert will last for one hour* Shakespeare’s tragic love-story inspired many composers as well as young imaginations! Today’s concert specially devised for Key Stage 2 children (Years 3 & 4) features two pieces written in Russia and the USA almost a century apart. Tchaikovsky’s fantasy overture retains Shakespeare’s characters, while Bernstein’s musical West Side Story updates Romeo and Juliet to modern times and the streets of New York.
  Andris Nelsons - conductor Tommy Pearson - presenter City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
  
  

• Andy Hamilton's 90th Birthday Concert  

  Wed 26 Mar Town Hall

  Join us for a very special concert to celebrate the 90th birthday of a remarkable man and a remarkable musician. Jazz legend Andy Hamilton is still playing sax like a dream. He’ll be joined by some of the galaxy of fantastic musicians he’s worked with during his UK career. Keep an eye on this website for more details as the artists are announced. Seats are priced at £10 and £6.50 in the choir area. 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. Supported by the Patrick Trust
  *Featuring:* *Andy Hamilton and the Blue Notes* *Courtney Pine* *Will Gaines* *Omar Puente* *Nana Tsiboe* *Lekan Babalola* *Black Voices* *Graeme Hamilton* *Mark Hamilton* *The Notebenders*
  
  

• The Hollies  

  Sun 15 Mar Symphony Hall

  Tony Hicks, Ray Stiles, Peter Howarth, Steve Lauri, Ian Parker and Bobby Elliott. According to a certain Guinness Book of British Hit Singles, throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s, The Hollies had more hit records than The Beatles. From _Just One Look_ and _Bus Stop_ to their power anthems:- _He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother_ and _Air That I Breathe_. On stage, their five decades of music is, as always, driven by Bobby Elliott’s powerful drumming and led by Tony Hicks' incisive guitar playing, vocals and narrative: the inside story on how The Hollies classic recordings were created, occasionally seasoned with the odd morsel of backstage gossip. The live performance is pure Hollies. Trademark harmonies, coupled with sheer musical prowess - each song spectacularly showcased by its own brilliant lightshow. Cast aside any prejudices that you may have about Rock‘n’Pop being the domain of youngsters, The Hollies still hack it in a major way. £18.50, £25
  
  
  

• Noah and the Whale - Club Silencio Tour plus support by Jay Jay Pistolet  

  Fri 13 Mar Town Hall

  *Noah and the Whale* head out on the road this March for a very special headline tour, *Club Silencio.* The band, whose Gold-selling debut album, _“Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down”_ was released to deserved acclaim last year, are currently in the studio recording that album’s follow-up. Returning to the stage, the Club Silencio tour will be an evening of film and music curated by the band. The blending of moving-image, projection and live sets will create a complete evening of entertainment from doors to coats replete with programme and compere. The name of the tour is an allusion to the David Lynch film scene but also to the show’s unifying themes of real, surreal and illusion.
  
  
  

• Antony and The Johnsons  

  Fri 22 May Symphony Hall

  Antony and the Johnsons have revealed the cover art and track listing for the forthcoming full-length, The Crying Light. Following a natural progression from the Another World EP, the album art features a 1977 portrait of renowned Butoh dancer, Kazuo Ohno, taken by Naoya Ikegami in Tokyo. Ohno is shown reaching towards light, his striking visage and reclined posture simultaneously invoking the cradle, the grave, and transcendence. Antony says, _"The Crying Light is dedicated to the great dancer Kazuo Ohno. In performance I watched him cast a circle of light upon the stage, and step into that circle, and reveal the dreams and reveries of his heart. He seemed to dance in the eye of something mysterious and creative; with every gesture he embodied the child and the feminine divine. He's kind of like my art parent."_
  
  
  

• New Year's Eve Matinee Gala  

  Mon 31 Dec Town Hall

  Avoid the crowds of the city centre on New Year's Eve evening and celebrate earlier in the glorious surroundings of Town Hall. The London Concert Orchestra will mark the New Year with a feast of popular classics. Please note that this performance does not include complimentary interval refreshments.
  *Anthony Inglis* Conductor *Paul O'Neill* Tenor *Grant Doyle* Baritone *London Concert Orchestra*
  *Strauss* Die Fledermaus Overture *Sousa* Stars and Stripes Forever *Elgar* Nimrod *Tchaikovsky* Swan Lake Finale *Bizet* The Pearl Fishers Duet *Porter* Brush up your Shakespeare *Ponchielli* Dance of the Hours *Rossini* William Tell Overture *Mascagni* Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana *Sibelius* Finlandia *Mozart* Champagne Aria *Denza* Funiculi, funicula *Arne* Rule Britannia *Parry* Jerusalem *Puccini* Nessun dorma *Elgar* Pomp & Circumstance March No 1
  

• Changing Lifestyles Exhibition - 1 Day Ticket. Valid for one day between Mon 2nd Feb - Wed 4th Feb  

  Mon 2 Feb Town Hall

  Take control of your lifestyle changes at this one-stop ecological event. Changing Lifestyles brings together challenges and solutions in food, fashion, fuel, finance, so that in turbulent times you can make environmentally sound choices without sacrificing quality or style. The future is local • and looks and tastes good! Special guests include, Seiji Mukai, director of the Nagoya carbon & technology exchanges and advisor to the Japanese government on environmental matters, and Nicola Giuggioli, CEO to Colin Firth’s eco age centre in Chiswick. Special events include the launch of the midlands eco partnership for business on 3 February and the launch of food DVD • A Taste of Six Counties • on 4 February. There will also be daily food and energy saving demonstrations and eco fashion displays each evening.
  
  Please Note: If you would like to purchase tickets for the other 2 days of this event (once you have purchase a 1 day ticket) a top up ticket is available from the venue Box Office on Monday February 2nd 2009. This ticket is only available on production of a valid 1 day ticket.
  

• Clare Teal The Paradisi Carousel Tour 

  Cancelled

  Sun 18 Nov Town Hall

  Sadly, this concert has been postponed but we hope to be able to announce a future date at some stage. To receive a full refund please forward your tickets along with a note of your name and address to the following address (no postage required): Ticket Office (Clare Teal) Symphony Hall FREEPOST BM 812 Birmingham B1 1BR If you originally purchased your tickets by credit/charge card we will credit that account. If you have recently cancelled the credit/charge card that you used to purchase your Clare Teal tickets, please advise the Ticket Office of your new card details as we would like to ensure that we credit the correct account. If you paid by cash or cheque we will forward a cheque refund in due course. Please accept our sincere apologies for this postponement and we hope it hasn't caused you too much inconvenience.
  
  
  

• Talking Cities: Annual Urban Design Lecture Series 2008  

  Mon 18 Feb Town Hall

  Sunand Prasad, President of the RIBA, the Royal Institute of British Architects, will discuss his vision for cities and explore relationships between architecture, cities and the diverse communities who live and work in them. Born in India, Prasad came to England with his family in the early 60s and in 1988 co-founded Penoyre and Prasad LLP, now an internationally renowned architectural practice. As well as an architect he is also and a writer on subjects including, Le Corbusier, North Indian Urbanism, cultural diversity and the value of design. He has written the eight essays in ‘Transformation’- the Architecture of Penoyre & Prasad and is the editor of a forthcoming book on hospital design. The Annual Urban Design public lecture series is organised between Birmingham City University School of Architecture and MADE* the Regional Architecture Centre in the West Midlands, in association with RIBA West Midlands. The talk will be for 45 minutes without an interval, followed by questions from the audience. Sponsored by Atkins.
  
  
  

• Changing Lifestyles Exhibition - 1 Day Ticket. Valid for one day between Mon 2nd Feb - Wed 4th Feb copy  

  Tue 3 Feb Town Hall

  Take control of your lifestyle changes at this one-stop ecological event. Changing Lifestyles brings together challenges and solutions in food, fashion, fuel, finance, so that in turbulent times you can make environmentally sound choices without sacrificing quality or style. The future is local • and looks and tastes good! Special guests include, Seiji Mukai, director of the Nagoya carbon & technology exchanges and advisor to the Japanese government on environmental matters, and Nicola Giuggioli, CEO to Colin Firth’s eco age centre in Chiswick. Special events include the launch of the midlands eco partnership for business on 3 February and the launch of food DVD • A Taste of Six Counties • on 4 February. There will also be daily food and energy saving demonstrations and eco fashion displays each evening.
  
  Please Note: If you would like to purchase tickets for the other 2 days of this event (once you have purchase a 1 day ticket) a top up ticket is available from the venue Box Office on Monday February 2nd 2009. This ticket is only available on production of a valid 1 day ticket.
  

• ZAPPA plays ZAPPA no support 

  Mon 15 Jun Symphony Hall

  Guitarist Dweezil Zappa has cocooned himself away in the studio this past year engineering his own metamorphosis. In order for me to play my father's music correctly I needed to understand the fundamentals of his music more thoroughly, which meant a lot of studying." His goal was to emerge as a "better musician" as well as a "better guitarist" The autodidactic Zappa utilized the fruits of his labour to startling effect on his first album project in more than six years _Go With What You Know_ featuring a unique guitar rendition of the elder Zappa's classic instrumental, _Peaches En Regalia_. The album will be independently released to coincide with the *Zappa Plays Zappa* tour. This is the first official live concert event of Frank Zappa's Music since his untimely passing in 1993. Joining Dweezil on stage will be a hand-picked band of new, young musicians.
  
  
  

• Changing Lifestyles Exhibition - 1 Day Ticket. Valid for one day between Mon 2nd Feb - Wed 4th Feb copy copy  

  Wed 4 Feb Town Hall

  Take control of your lifestyle changes at this one-stop ecological event. Changing Lifestyles brings together challenges and solutions in food, fashion, fuel, finance, so that in turbulent times you can make environmentally sound choices without sacrificing quality or style. The future is local • and looks and tastes good! Special guests include, Seiji Mukai, director of the Nagoya carbon & technology exchanges and advisor to the Japanese government on environmental matters, and Nicola Giuggioli, CEO to Colin Firth’s eco age centre in Chiswick. Special events include the launch of the midlands eco partnership for business on 3 February and the launch of food DVD • A Taste of Six Counties • on 4 February. There will also be daily food and energy saving demonstrations and eco fashion displays each evening.
  
  Please Note: If you would like to purchase tickets for the other 2 days of this event (once you have purchase a 1 day ticket) a top up ticket is available from the venue Box Office on Monday February 2nd 2009. This ticket is only available on production of a valid 1 day ticket.
  

• Bach to Beethoven  

  Tue 27 Nov Symphony Hall

  British violinist-turned-conductor Andrew Manze is one of the stars of the period-instrument movement, acclaimed internationally for his original and dynamic interpretations of a wide range of music. For his CBSO debut he has chosen to perform, and to introduce from the stage, Beethoven’s delightfully witty Eighth, one of the few later works in which the composer seems entirely untroubled by his difficult life. Another leading British artist, Michael Chance, joins the Orchestra for one of Bach’s greatest solo cantatas, while the concert opens in extrovert style with Bach’s joyous Suite - the original home of the Air on a G String.
  *Andrew Manze* Conductor *Michael Chance* Counter-Tenor
  *Bach*: Orchestral Suite No. 3 *Bach*: Cantata No. 170 - Vergnügte Ruh’, beliebte Seelenlust *J C Bach*: Ach, Dass Ich Wassers gnug hätte *Beethoven*: Symphony No. 8
  

• Buena Vista Social Club™ presents Guajiro Mirabal, Cachaito Lopez, Manuel Galban, Aguaje Ramos  

  Fri 23 May Symphony Hall

  *Due to demand. The Choir benches behind the stage are now on sale priced at £22.50* An extraordinary line-up of Buena Vista Social Club™ stalwarts, together in a 12 piece band direct from Havana, returns to Symphony Hall to present some of the finest Cuban music ever made. This unique concert will take audiences on a musical excursion from the original 1996 Buena Vista Social Club™ recordings, which sold over 7 million copies, up to the present day, and transport you to the heat of Cuba’s clubs and dancehalls. "..taking the atmosphere up to a breathless level" The Independent "..left audiences awe-struck" Financial Times "This was a pulsating display" The Times "A truly memorable evening from some genuinely inspirational musical stars" Cambridge Evening News
  
  
  

• Igorfest: Persephone  

  Tue 26 Feb Symphony Hall

  In his latest contribution to Birmingham’s unique IgorFest project, performances of Stravinsky’s complete works, CBSO Music Director Sakari Oramo is joined by a favourite British pianist for the Capriccio, the most brilliant and extrovert of his three works for piano and orchestra. One of several pieces Stravinsky wrote for the extraordinary actress-cum-dancer Ida Rubinstein, Perséphone, a story of the Greek Underworld, is among the most ravishing of the composer’s works, and features exquisite writing for adult and children’s choruses. 6.15pm pre-concert talk ***Please note the programme has changed***. Part of the orginal programme will be played at the CBSO Centre 1 Mar 08 at 3pm & 7pm. Original programme includes Stravinsky Pulcinella.
  *Sakari Oramo* Conductor *Peter Donohoe* Piano *Peter Wedd* Tenor *City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus & Youth Chorus*
  *Chopin (orch. Stravinsky)* Nocturne and Grand Valse Brillante 13' *Stravinsky* Capriccio for Piano & Orchestra 17' *Stravinsky* Perséphone 56'
  

• Thomas Spencer-Wortley with Special Guests All Angels  

  Change of Date

  Fri 27 Mar Town Hall

  Bridging the divide between Classical and West End music, new singing sensation Thomas Spencer-Wortley, described as the _English Josh Groban_ is building a reputation as one of the country’s leading crossover artists. Thomas is well known for presenting a diverse repertoire which undoubtedly offers a unique experience for every audience. His tenor voice is both powerful and sensitive and leaves you truly inspired. Joining him on stage is Platinum and Classical Brit nominated *All Angels*, the female group that shot to fame in 2006 and recent guests on _Songs of Praise_, West End star *Natalie Hope* and from the BBC's show 'How do you solve a problem like Maria' *Abi Finley* They are accompanied by his fantastic ensemble which includes the string quartet _Midnight Strings_ and the City of Birmingham Young Voices. With hits from top shows and well known classical favourites this is sure to delight and is not to be missed
  
  
  

• Jeff Beck plus support Imelda May 

  Thu 25 Jun Symphony Hall

  Jeff Beck burst onto the music scene in 1966 after joining the Yardbirds. Although his stint with the band lasted only 18 months, Beck played on almost all of the group’s hits. More importantly, Beck’s innovative style heard on classics like _Heart Full of Soul_ and _Shapes of Things_ helped influence the psychedelic sound of the ‘60s. At the height of the Yardbirds’ popularity in 1967, Beck left the group and embarked upon an unpredictable journey of musical discovery that has lasted over four decades. During that time, Beck has left his distinctive mark on hard rock, jazz-fusion and modern music history. Don't miss the chance to see this authentic guitar legend. Dublin-born Imelda May has the rare kind of raw talent and timeless glamour that truly illuminates the stage. You don't just watch Imelda perform, you experience it. Imelda will support Jeff Beck in this evening of fantastic music.
  
  
  

• The International Pianoforte Competition - The Finals 28th Robert William & Florence Amy Brant International Pianoforte Competition 

  Symphony Hall

  The prestigious competition is open to up to 25 young pianists aged between 20 and 28. There is a first prize of £3,000 and a prize fund of £6,000. The Preliminary and Semi-Final stages will take place at the CBSO Centre (Berkely Street) on Saturday 30 June at 9am and Sunday 1 July at 9.30am. The Final takes place at Symphony Hall on Saturday 7 July at 7pm. The three finalists will select their own varied programmes of up to 40 minutes to include music by three composers drawn from Albeniz, Grieg, Mozart, Brahms, Liszt, Schubert, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninov, and Schumann. For further information or an application form please contact Victoria Green, Performnaces Birmingham, Symphony Hall, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EA or send an email headed 'Piano Competition Application Form Request' to pianocompetition@thsh.co.uk The closing date for applications is 13 June 2007.
  
  
  

• Elaine Paige  

  Sun 15 Feb Symphony Hall

  The first lady of musical theatre, the sensational Elaine Paige, performs at Symphony Hall for one performance only as part of her UK-wide 40th Anniversary Tour. Celebrating four decades of an extraordinary career on the stage, Elaine shares many of her best-loved musical memories and performs an unmissable collection of her favourite songs from the shows she has starred in since her West End debut in 1968. The multi award-winning Elaine Paige has become a household name, bringing to life some of the greatest female roles in musical theatre history and has released 21 platinum selling albums. Supported by a twelve-piece band, Elaine performs songs from Evita, Hair, Sunset Boulevard, Jesus Christ Superstar, Les Miserables, Chess and many more including I Don’t Know How to Love Him, Don’t Cry for Me Argentina, As If We Never Said Goodbye, I Dreamed a Dream, With One Look, I Know Him So Well and, of course, one of Elaine’s most powerful anthems, Memory, from the international smash-hit musical Cats. £27.50, £32.50, £35
  
  
  

• Late-Night Light Night  

  Fri 12 Sep Town Hall

  In a thrilling evening of sound and light, Town Hall throws open the doors for an exclusive event showcasing some of the freshest musical talent from around the West Midlands. The party gets underway inside the iconic landmark with beats from Manga (Shaanti, Funkshaan), live hip hop and jazz with Soweto Kinch plus performances courtesy of Maylight and The Sub Ensemble. Expect a mix of beats, bass, brass and amazing vocals for a funky ArtsFest Friday. Outside Town Hall, spectacular illuminations and visuals will present the iconic building in a whole new light as part of Light Night Birmingham, a project featuring innovative architectural lighting of city centre landmarks. Free entry and a dazzling late-night audiovisual experience offers an opportunity to see the restored venue as never before. Admission FREE Presented in association with "Birmingham Jazz":http://www.birminghamjazz.co.uk/ Soweto Kinch is a Town Hall Associate Artist.
  *Soweto Kinch* *Manga* *The Sub Ensemble* *Maylight*
  
  

• The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber  

  Sun 22 Mar Symphony Hall

  For many years the hugely prolific Andrew Lloyd Webber has not only dominated the theatre stage in the West End and Broadway, but he has also enjoyed unrivalled chart and commercial success. Having written some of the world's most covered compositions, in recent years he has taken on the role of mentor in television's _American Idol_, _How do you solve a problem like Maria_, _Any Dream Will Do_, as well as _I'd Do Anything_ Join The Showbiz Pops Orchestra, and four of the West End’s finest stars in an evening of excerpts from the musicals of the world's most successful composer - hear your favourites from _The Phantom of the Opera_, _Cats, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Starlight Express, Sunset Boulevard, Aspects of Love, Tell me on a Sunday, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat_ and many other Lloyd Webber favourites. £22.50, £26.50, £30
  *Richard Ward-Roden* conductor Starring *Daniel Boys*, *Chrissie Hammond*, *Helen Hobson* and *Scott Davis*
  
  

• CBSO Season 2008-09  

  Wed 17 Sep to Fri 3 Jul Town Hall & Symphony Hall

  DISCOUNTS FOR CBSO CONCERTS Please note that only one discount can be applied to any ticket. Special offers, discounts and concessions cannot be combined. Concerts which are not promoted by the CBSO may have different discounting policies please check with the Ticket Office at time of booking. *CONCERT PACKAGES* Buy tickets for 3 or more CBSO concerts at Symphony Hall/Town Hall to start saving and receiving package benefits. *GROUP BOOKERS* are entitled to a 20% discount for parties of 11 or more and receive one FREE ticket for the group organiser. Groups also benefit from a reservation facility - please call the Group Booking Department on Freephone 0800 358 7070. There is also the opportunity to meet CBSO musicians at concerts; please call Amy Poyser at the CBSO on 0121 616 6513. *FAMILY TICKETS* (for Symphony Hall & Town Hall) To qualify for a family ticket, one or two adults must be accompanied by one or more children aged 16 and under, up to a maximum group of six people. Family tickets are available in all areas, and will be allocated subject to availability. Adult family ticket: £17; child family ticket: £8.50. *STUDENTS & YOUNG PEOPLE* From 1pm on the day of each evening performance and from 10am for matinée concerts, anyone in fulltime education and young people aged 25 and under can purchase remaining tickets at the discounted price of £4. Proof of eligibility may be required. Please note: the CBSO reserves the right to allocate these tickets in certain areas of the hall. Under our ‘Audiences for Tomorrow’ scheme, the CBSO offers a limited number of tickets at special prices for secondary school groups, subject to availability. Teachers should call Katy Russell on 0121 616 6530 for information. *STANDBY TICKETS* Available from 1pm on the day of each evening performance and from 10am for matinée concerts (Symphony Hall & Town Hall concerts), and from CBSO Centre one hour before CBSO Cntre performances. Please come early to avoid queues. All standby tickets are issued subject to availability and on production of valid and suitable identification. Please note the CBSO reserves the right to allocate standby tickets in certain areas of the hall. Patrons aged 60+ (Symphony Hall & Town Hall only) receive 10% discount. Patrons who are benefit recipients can purchase tickets for £4 at all venues (qualifying benefits: Income Support, Pension Tax Credit, Job Seekers Allowance and Disability Tax Credit). Holders of ‘Passport to Leisure’ cards can purchase Circle tickets for £21, and seats on all other levels for £13.50 at Symphony Hall and Town Hall (one ticket per Passport holder), and receive £1 off a full-price ticket at CBSO Centre. *DISABLED PATRONS* If you have a disability you are entitled to receive 50% discount off full price seats. Should you need the service of a companion, their ticket is also half price. Proof of eligibility may be required. N.B. Disabled patrons can combine their 50% discount with the additional Concert Package discounts. For further information on facilities for patrons with disabilities, including the infra-red system for the hearing impaired, please contact Symphony Hall on 0121 780 4949. Receivers are available from the Performance Manager at the concert. Guide dogs welcome. *WHEELCHAIR POSITIONS* Spaces for patrons who need to remain in their wheelchair during the performance are located on the stalls and upper circle levels of Symphony Hall, stalls & circle levels of Town Hall and are available at CBSO Centre. Please book in advance for Symphony Hall & Town Hall by calling 0121 780 4949 during opening hours. *CAR PARKING* Limited space is available for Blue Badge holders driving their own vehicles. To reserve free parking, please contact the Ticket Office on 0121 780 3333. You will be asked for your Blue Badge number, vehicle registration, concert date and contact details when booking a space. Please put requests for more than three dates in writing to Performances Birmingham Ticket Office, Symphony Hall, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2EA. For concerts at Town Hall, wheelchair users may be dropped off outside the building by Paradise Circus. Blue badge parking bays in the vicinity of Town Hall can be found on Margaret Street, Edmund Street and Pinfold Street. *This brochure is available free of charge on audio-cassette. Please call 0121 616 6513.* *RETURNS & RESALES* Tickets are accepted at the discretion of the Ticket Office but all CBSO sales take priority. There is a service charge of 10% of the face value and money resulting from a resale will be forwarded by cheque. NB only cash or cheques will be accepted in payment for returns. *LOST TICKETS* Please note there is a £2 charge for printing duplicate tickets.
  
  
  

• The Shaolin Wheel of Life  

  Sun 26 Oct Symphony Hall

  The Ultimate Masters of Kung-Fu return to the UK, following previous sell-out seasons with “Shaolin Wheel Of Life”, a show jam-packed with incredible feats of strength and skill, which will delight the whole family. Twenty Shaolin Monks and five young trainees have travelled all the way from the Shaolin Temple in China, to demonstrate their martial arts expertise. In a crescendo of kung-fu sequences, the Shaolin Monks are lifted aloft on sharpened spears, splinter wooden blocks with their bare hands, break bricks on their heads and fly through the air in a series of incredible back flips and spins. This show is the Shaolin legend made real and is definitely NOT to be tried at home! * The twenty men on stage are not like the rest of us • Sunday Express * It’s a thrilling, uplifting sight. You’ll want to go straight home and shave your head. - Daily telegraph * Hair raising brilliance • Daily Telegraph * Jaw dropping • Evening Standard * The Ultimate Masters Of Kung Fu • Time Out * Near Miraculous feats of strength and endurance • What’s On
  
  
  

• Steeleye Span 40th Anniversary Tour 

  Fri 27 Nov Town Hall

  *Part of Town Hall 175th Anniversary Series.* In a world where bands come and go in the blink of an eye, the enduring success of Steeleye Span is one of the great stories in rock music. 2009 will see them celebrate an incredible forty years together, an achievement made all the more remarkable by the fact that the band has seldom been more active in its career. The current line-up of Maddy Prior, Peter Knight, Liam Genockey, Ken Nicol and Peter Zorn will come to the stage for this very exciting year in the history of Steeleye. At a period in their career when most bands are happy to settle down to rehashing past glories, Steeleye Span have pushed on with a succession of acclaimed albums, each seeing them re-define their classic sound. Their fortieth anniversary year will be spent in much the same way as every other; they will play live (two UK tours, plus visits to Australia and USA) and make music, releasing a new album that will typically see them buck their own trend and go back to their roots, the interpretation of traditional song. This though, has always been the Steeleye way. Tied not to the past, the present or the future - simply timeless.
  
  
  

• Bach Discovery Day  

  Sat 30 May Symphony Hall

  Preceding Angela Hewitt's performance of the Goldberg Variations, we present a day-long series of talks by guest speakers, with discussions and live music, that will give us a deeper insight into Bach's beautiful mind, as well as the man behind the music. Chaired by BBC Radio 3's Graeme Kay, the Bach Discovery will include sessions on Bach the man, Bach and spirituality, Bach and the magic of numbers, Performing Bach, and a screening of the Bach episode from Simon Russell Beale's BBC 4 series on choral music. Participants include Chris de Souza (radio presenter, record producer and composer), musician and Lutheran liturgical expert Peter Lea-Cox, Kevin Jones (Emeritus Professor of Music, Kingston University), and the acclaimed jazz interpreter of Bach, David Rees-Williams, who plays at Town Hall on the morning of Sunday 31 May. From 1pm to 2.15pm there will be a free 'Come and sing' event on stage in Symphony Hall, based around Bach's motet Lobet den Herrn, conducted by Peter King, Organist of Bath Abbey. This session is open to all, whether or not you are attending the rest of the day.
  
  
  

• An Evening with Jack Jones  

  Thu 19 Nov Symphony Hall

  Jack Jones is the double Grammy-winning easy listening giant nominated by Frank Sinatra as _“one of the major singers of our time.”_ His consistently sold-out world tours and fifty recorded albums are a testimony to the breadth and quality of his remarkable talent, which has been admired by - among others - Sinatra, Mel Torme and legendary composers Sammy Cahn and Michel Legrand. With his own star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, Jones' impressive CV includes film and television roles, an internationally syndicated TV variety show, guest performances at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Centre and the White House. His swinging renditions of contemporary pop and rock, as well as classic standards have packed out UK tour dates time and time again, with Jones charming audiences with his wit, sensitivity and vocal power. With the music industry witnessing a new golden era of stars from the easy listening tradition, Jones’ 2009 tour is set to be a giant success. _“Jack is one of the major singers of our time”_ Frank Sinatra _“The greatest ‘pure’ singer in the world”_ Mel Torme _“Jones is a bona fide legend”_ The Guardian
  
  
  

• Schools Concert: New World Symphony 11.30am and 1.30pm 

  Fri 13 Feb Symphony Hall

  Set sail for America with the CBSO, to hear the New World as the Czech Antonín Dvorák experienced it in 1893 - full of promise and new sounds. The slow movement of this most popular of symphonies is renowned for featuring on the Hovis advertisement, and today’s performances - devised especially for Key Stage 2 children (years 5 & 6) - make this a perfect introduction to the sights and sounds of symphony orchestra. “I might be able to play as good as you, if I keep practising.” Child at The Planets Schools Concert, February 2008 Special prices apply: £4 per ticket for children and teachers, and home-schooling* children and parents. To book please call Group Bookings on 0800 358 7070. For information on pre-concert support packages and other opportunities available for schools with the CBSO, please contact the CBSO’s Education Department by email (education@cbso.co.uk) or telephone (0121 616 6530). *proof of eligibility, eg registration with your Local Authority, will be required.
  Michael Seal - conductor Tommy Pearson - presenter City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
  
  

• Ashkenazy and Kissin Philharmonia Orchestra 

  Tue 22 Jan 2008 Symphony Hall

  When Ashkenazy accompanies Kissin in Prokofiev's most popular piano concerto, a celebrated pianist from an earlier generation will pay a graceful tribute to one of the young lions of the keyboard. Stand by also for the fascinating perspective revealed by a great pianist's orchestration of Mussorgsky's monumental piano work, Pictures at an Exhibition, a gallery of people, stories and places Classic FM's Anne-Marie Minhall says of tonight's recommended concert: _"Symphony Hall plays host to two outstanding figures in classical music. Vladimir Ashkenazy's distinguished career, as both pianist and conductor, spans forty years. Sharing the stage is one of the best pianists in the world, Evgeny Kissin. Be sure to book early for what promises to be a terrific evening of music."_
  *Vladimir Ashkenazy* Conductor *Evgeny Kissin* Piano
  *Debussy* Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune 9' *Roussel* Suite No 1, Bacchus et Ariane 17' *Prokofiev* Piano Concerto No 3 28' *Mussorgsky* (arr Ashkenazy) Pictures at an Exhibition 40'
  

• Camille O'Sullivan The Dark Angel 

  Wed 3 Jun Town Hall

  After stunning performances on “Later. . .with Jools Holland” and five star sell-out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, Camille O’Sullivan returns to Town Hall. Camille has recently performed sell out seasons in Ireland, New York, Australia (Sydney Opera House) and been a special guest star of the Broadway hit show La Clique. Camille will be joined on the road with her 5 piece band. “. . .it's as though her breath is soaked in paraffin; one spark, and the whole room would ignite.” Daily Telegraph “We gave her five stars last year; after this performance we’d give her six if we could” FIVE STARS Metro “She smears her face white, slashes her lips with red and makes like a discarded doll. Her wine-soaked voice cracks with emotion, or ennui: it's as if she is summoning her last dregs of energy to utter each syllable. Even letting down her hair becomes an event; another icon of scuzzy glamour, to set against her fishnets and fulsome decolletage, and the fairy lights and shimmering frocks that decorate the stage...' FOUR STARS Brian Logan, The Guardian "Click here":http://www.youtube.com/camilleosullivan to see Camille on YouTube
  
  
  

• An Evening with Barbara Dickson  

  Sat 14 Feb 2009 Town Hall

  For over four decades, Barbara Dickson has continued to deliver songs to the public in her own incomparable fashion. As a multi-million selling recording artist with an equally impressive Olivier award-winning acting career, Barbara Dickson OBE has firmly established herself as one of the most enduring and popular entertainers in Britain today. Globally known for hits which include _Caravans_, _Another Suitcase in Another Hall_ and her chart-topping duet with Elaine Paige, _I Know Him So Well_, Barbara Dickson is also a two-time Olivier Award-winning actress with roles including Anita Braithwaite in TV's Band of Gold and the original Mrs Johnstone in Willy Russell's long-running musical Blood Brothers. Barbara Dickson now brings her sensational show to Birmingham providing audiences with a musical treat; as she performs her classic hits, as well as other material in her own inimitable style. '_The chance to hear her sing a personal choice of favourite good songs should not be missed_' *The Times* '_Barbara Dickson shows what true class is all about_' *The Stage* £22.50, £24.50
  
  
  

• Birmingham’s Brightest  

  Sat 11 Oct Symphony Hall

  Everyone knows that Birmingham has the brightest and most vibrant youth music scene in the UK; hear why in this jam-packed gala concert! Feel the sheer visceral thrill of the famous Birmingham Schools’ Azaad Dhol Ensemble, before the acclaimed CBSO Youth Orchestra Academy makes its Symphony Hall debut in Ligeti’s flamboyant Concert Romanesc. Two show-stopping young choirs raise the roof before the CBSO proper takes the stage alongside one of Britain’s best-loved young soloists • teenager clarinettist Julian Bliss • in Malcolm Arnold’s irresistibly jazzy concerto. Throw in a couple of John Williams’ blockbuster movie soundtracks including music from Star Wars, with the CBSO, and you’ve got a concert that celebrates both the young - and the young at heart! This concert coincides with the National Association of Music Educators Conference at the ICC.
  Michael Seal - conductor Tommy Pearson - presenter Julian Bliss - clarinet CBSO Youth Orchestra Academy City of Birmingham Young Voices Birmingham Schools’ Azaad Dhol Ensemble Sing For All Massed Choir
  
  

• CBSO Schools Concert: The Firebird  

  Cancelled

  Thu 15 Apr 2010 Symphony Hall

  Stravinsky’s music transports you to a world of glittering colours, enchanted melodies and nightmarish, bloodcurdling thrills. Discover the orchestra from the inside out with one of the best-loved pieces of music in the classical repertoire, which shows off the full symphony orchestra in all its brilliance and splendour. The ballet score is based on a Russian folk tale telling the story of Prince Ivan who enters the garden of the evil Kastchei and rescues 13 princesses with the help of the magical firebird. 11.30am performance: specially devised for Key Stage 2 (Years 5 & 6); 1.30pm performance: for Key Stages 3 & 4. *Special prices apply: £4 per ticket for children and teachers, and home-schooling* children and parents. To book please call Group Bookings on 0800 358 7070.* For information on pre-concert support packages and other opportunities available for schools with the CBSO, please contact the CBSO’s Education Department by email (education@cbso.co.uk) or telephone (0121 616 6546). *proof of eligibility, eg registration with your Local Authority, required
  *City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra* *Michael Seal* _conductor_ *Tommy Pearson* _presenter_
  
  

• CBSO Schools Concert: The Firebird  

  Cancelled

  Thu 15 Apr 2010 Symphony Hall

  Stravinsky’s music transports you to a world of glittering colours, enchanted melodies and nightmarish, bloodcurdling thrills. Discover the orchestra from the inside out with one of the best-loved pieces of music in the classical repertoire, which shows off the full symphony orchestra in all its brilliance and splendour. The ballet score is based on a Russian folk tale telling the story of Prince Ivan who enters the garden of the evil Kastchei and rescues 13 princesses with the help of the magical firebird. 11.30am performance: specially devised for Key Stage 2 (Years 5 & 6); 1.30pm performance: for Key Stages 3 & 4. *Special prices apply: £4 per ticket for children and teachers, and home-schooling* children and parents. To book please call Group Bookings on 0800 358 7070.* For information on pre-concert support packages and other opportunities available for schools with the CBSO, please contact the CBSO’s Education Department by email (education@cbso.co.uk) or telephone (0121 616 6546). *proof of eligibility, eg registration with your Local Authority, required
  *City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra* *Michael Seal* _conductor_ *Tommy Pearson* _presenter_
  
  

• Talking Cities: Urban Design Public Series  

  Wed 26 Nov Town Hall

  DAVID WEST of STUDIO EGRET-WEST talking on Strategy to Specificity The future of Birmingham’s Big City Plan will be defined by courage, cultural change and commitment to see ideas through. David West will discuss the challenges faced in translating “big ideas” through the scales - from Strategy to Specificity. David is a partner of Studio Egret West and a planner and urban designer specialising in urban visions and strategic framework plans. Since graduating from Manchester University / TU Delft, Holland, David has worked on a number of diverse projects all over the world. At Atkins, he worked on large scale masterplans in China, Portugal, Abu Dhabi, and Brazil. Then at Alsop, he established and led the ‘Big Architecture’ team, formulating radical urban strategies that challenged conventional thinking about places. Having set up Studio Egret West with Christophe Egret in 2004, David has pursued a passion for delivering place specific strategies and solutions. David sits on the CABE London 2012 Design Review Panel. Talking Cities is the 2008 Urban Design Public Lecture series organised between Birmingham City University, School of Architecture and MADE, the Regional Architecture Centre in the West Midlands. £5 and concessionary rates for students This event is sponsored by Atkins.
  
  
  

• Cyndi Lauper plus special guests 

  Mon 13 Oct Symphony Hall

  Cyndi Lauper has announced a rare live tour of the UK. Having burst onto the world stage as the quintessential girl who wants to have fun and after more than 20 sterling years and global record sales in excess of 25 million, Cyndi Lauper has proven that she has the heart and soul to keep her legion of fans compelled by her every creative move with world famous hits such as _Girls Just Want To Have Fun_, _Time After Time_, _True Colours_ and _I Drove All Night_. With her recently released, newly minted collection, _Bring Ya To The Brink_, Cyndi firmly asserts her position as one of the most beguiling, innovative, and downright exciting recording artists of this - and any other - generation, she has been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards, 2 Emmy Awards, 2 American Music Awards, 7 American Video Awards, 18 MTV awards. But it's as a master craftsman of her own recordings that give Cyndi her greatest sense of accomplishment. With _Bring Ya To The Brink_, she has raised the creative bar, hitting what is destined to mark another career watermark of success. "I still have so much to say and share," says Cyndi. "I'm grateful for each and everyday that I get to make music. As long as there's a corner of the world where people want to hear me, I'll be there... singing my heart out."
  
  Please Note: Show starts at 7:30pm *Please note that the NIA car park will be particularly busy tonight as Oasis are playing there, so please allow extra time if travelling by car.*
  

• Malcolm Gladwell The author of Outliers, The Tipping Point and Blink - Live on stage 

  Thu 25 Jun Town Hall

  "The most influential thinker of the ipod generation" _Observer_ Brilliant and entertaining, the best-selling author of _Outliers, Blink_ and _The Tipping Point_ is normally paid huge sums to speak at conferences for corporations like Google. His West End performances were a sell-out sensation in 2008. Now British theatregoers have a unique opportunity to see him in action. Malcolm now brings his extraordinary alchemy of story-telling and intuitive thinking on a UK tour. It's time to forget conventional notions of how society works and get ready for a brand new way of seeing the world! Reviews of Malcolm Gladwell's sell-out London appearances: "Malcolm Gladwell is a global phenomenon, one of the most brilliant and influential writers of his generation." _Observer_ "A brilliant story-teller ... immense fun" _Guardian_ "The writer as rock star? Well, why not?...Malco-mania about to break out!" _Telegraph_ "Enormous charm...I wanted more" _Telegraph_ "London's HOT TICKET...Gladwell makes the world seem fresh and exciting again" _Standard_ "An entrancing story-teller" _Times_ Malcolm will also be signing copies of the paperback edition of his new book _OUTLIERS_.
  
  
  

• An Evening with Joan Baez  

  Thu 1 Oct Symphony Hall

  Joan Baez has just marked 50 years since she began her legendary residency at Boston’s famed Club 47. She remains a musical force of nature whose influence is incalculable - marching on the front line of the civil rights movement with Martin Luther King, inspiring Vaclav Havel in his fight for a Czech Republic, singing on the first Amnesty International tour and just this year, standing alongside Nelson Mandela when the world celebrated his 90th birthday in London’s Hyde Park. Joan Baez visited the UK in late June 2008 to headline the Glastonbury Acoustic Stage and followed that up with a completely sold out concert at The Royal Albert Hall garnering some superb reviews Joan Baez’s 24th studio album, _Day After Tomorrow_ is her first studio album since 2003’s _Dark Chords On a Big Guitar_ and follows her acclaimed 2005 live album _Bowery Songs_. Produced by Steve Earle, _Day After Tomorrow_ continues Baez’s role as a musical curator and interpreter of songs and includes material by Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Patty Griffin and Earle himself. "Simply astounding" _The Times_ "A royal presence" _The Independent_
  
  
  

• Brass Gala Concert  

  Sun 16 Sep Symphony Hall

  This year’s Brass Gala concert opens with the current National Champion Brass Band, The Grimethorpe Colliery Band, conducted by Allan Withington. ‘Grimey’ as bandsmen know the band, justly claim to be the most travelled brass band in brass band history and are well known for their involvement in the film Brassed Off. They present us with a magnificent programme from Williams resounding _Henry the Fifth Overture_ to Berlioz’s Overture to _Les Francs Juges_ with which they won the title last year. The British Open Champions, Black Dyke Band, will then take to the stage. Black Dyke are at least a century and a half old and may be the world’s oldest existing brass band, they are certainly the most famous. Led by Nicholas Childs they will lead us through an exciting programme featuring Rimsky-Korsakov’s _Capriccio Espagnol_ arranged by Keith Wilkinson and Peter Graham’s colourful _Renaissance_. The afternoon will conclude with an appearance by the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, a hundred brilliant young players aged from twelve to eighteen. Many of the bands members go on to become leading players in great bands and famous orchestras. Conducted by Bramwell Tovey the band will lead you through a varied programme from Rimmer’s popular _Punchinello_, loved by bandsmen everywhere, to Cyril Jenkin’s challenging _Life Divine_.
  *Grimethorpe Colliery Band* *Black Dyke Band* *National Youth Brass Band*
  
  

• Nick Lowe and his band with special guest RON SEXSMITH 

  Thu 14 May Symphony Hall

  Somewhere in London a musician lives who carries the keys to the musical kingdom. In his Technicolor sonic scope are all kinds of sounds, from rock to country to soul to pop. Nothing is off limits, as long as it has a groove and goodness based in reality. The musician has been performing for 40 years, but is as fresh today as the first time he stepped on stage. There are no tricks or short cuts here. Far from it. His songs are as solid as the earth, yet carry no lingering hype or heaviness. The musician is Nick Lowe, the headmaster of British rock, and his new album, _At My Age_, is such a cause for certain celebration that fans and neophytes alike should mark its release as a date to remember. Special guest, Ron Sexsmith, is a major contemporary writer/artist who has amassed a sizable and consistently enthralling body of work since making his major label debut in 1995 with his self-titled album on Interscope, followed by such eloquent musical gems as _Other Songs_ (1997), _Blue Boy_ (2001), _Retriever_ (2004) and _Time Being_ (2006). Each has its own particular character but is connected to the rest by the overarching intelligence, impeccable taste and understated emotionality of this single-minded voice in the pop-cultural wilderness. As one new fan put it in a comment on iTunes, Sexsmith’s music _“wins you over with a silk punch.”_ Well put.
  
  
  

• Björn Again 19th (very nearly 20th) Anniversary Tour 

  Mon 10 Dec Symphony Hall

  Björn Again has reached a huge milestone ...... Well ... Almost !! Join in all the fun on the band's 19th Anniversary Tour which promises to be a fantastic night out for everyone. Björn Again was created in 1988 by Australian musician and manager Rod Leissle. The show quickly achieved worldwide cult status and has had 4000 performances in 51 countries in 19 years. ABBA won Eurovision in 1974 with 'Waterloo' at the Brighton Dome. They have celebrated 8 years of the very successful Mamma Mia Musical of which Tom Hanks is to make a cinematic version starring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan. ABBA were once offered a one billion dollar deal to reform for a year long re-union tour but declined because...they didn't really need the 'money money money'. Similarly Björn Again was offered one dollar to perform one billion concerts which Rod carefully considered ...but also declined for...the same reason. "Fans had better make the most out of Björn Again because that's the closest they are going to get to seeing ABBA. ABBA will never reform!" - Benny Andersson "When ABBA broke up, I assumed our music would fall into oblivion so in the early 90's with Björn Again becoming popular and when U2 invited Benny and I on stage to sing Dancing Queen, I just assumed we were being sent up. But now I see both bands were paying tribute to us" - Björn Ulvaeus "Thanks for the great show guys" - Kylie Minogue (New Years Eve 2006) "A wonderful evening in this magnificent setting dancing to Björn Again" - J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter Author (2006 MS Charity Ball) "www.bjornagain.com":http://www.bjornagain.com
  
  
  

• Sharleen Spiteri Start Time: 8pm 

  Sun 8 Feb Symphony Hall

  Sharleen Spiteri, one of the most successful women in British music over the last 25 years, makes her solo debut at Symphony Hall this February - hot on the heels of her solo album ‘Melody’ which went straight into the album charts at No 3, and has already been declared Gold for 100,000 sales. The release of 'Melody' has seen Sharleen back in huge demand with performances on a range of massive UK TV shows from Later with Jools Holland to the Andrew Marr Show, via Graham Norton, The Charlotte Church Show and Transmission. Debut single ‘All The Times I Cried’ received a Neilson award for over 10,000 plays on UK Radio, including a coveted Radio 2 ‘A’ Playlisting. Follow up single ‘Stop I Don’t Love You Anymore’ is also climbing the Airplay Top 20. Sharleen has also performed radio sessions for Radio 2 and Virgin as well as slotting in a triumphant main stage surprise performance at hometown festival T in the Park. She also starred at the recent BBC Proms in the Park, when she performed to over 30,000 people in London’s Hyde Park. Press plaudits include the NME who called Melody ‘a succulent record of Dusty Springfield-isms’. The 2009 tour will see Sharleen perform tracks from Melody for the first time, along with a few Texas classics and, as always with Sharleen, some musical surprises - all delivered by one of the best and most distinctive voices in British music.
  Please note: the start time for this event is 8pm. The runtimes will now be as follows: 8pm �" 8.30pm Kizzy Star 9pm �" 10.30pm Sharleen Spiteri
  
  

• Ed Byrne Different Class 

  Thu 19 Nov Town Hall

  Half toff, half pikey....All comic! Comedy favourite returns with a blisteringly funny new one man show about marriage, class, the youth of today and anything else that strikes him as humorous. It’s hard to say any more than that as this blurb had to be written in April when the new show was barely taking shape. He might end up doing an hour about going to the Opera for all I know. Oh, no he’s done that. www.edbyrne.com _“His wit won deafening cheers and feet stomping”_ The Guardian _“Dazzling”_ The Sunday Times _“Jokes come so fast that hecklers don’t have a chance to get a word in edgeways”_ The Times _“Hottest tip this year is Ed Byrne - fluent, assured and wicked”_ The Sunday Times _“It is rare for a comic to merit the word “masterful” but in this case it is no overstatement”_ The Scotsman _“His set had the audience in stitches for most of the evening - they roared their approval at the end - but he is technically excellent as well, the sure sign of a comic on the cusp of a major career. It does not come much better than this.”_ The Stage _“Utterly Charming”_ The List _“Astoundingly polished material”_ The Sunday Telegraph _“This charming man may well be threatening to give stand up a good name”_ The List _“Byrne looks set to become a comic who will inspire as many swoons as guffaws”_ The List _“A comedian with everything going for him, Ed Byrne has all the attributes to upgrade to the big time - see him”_ The Independent _“He describes himself as a stick insect rather than a sex symbol but the high proportion of women hanging on his every witticism suggests otherwise. He may be thin and weedy but his material certainly is not.”_ Daily Express _“In complete rapport with his capacity audience”_ The Scotsman _“A stunningly original piece of work - a comedy star”_ Irish Times _“The audience went into rapture and insisted on an encore”_ Time Out £17.50
  
  
  

• Flatpack Festival presents Curzonora A Celebration of Cinema's Early Days Featuring The Destroyers 

  Wed 11 Mar Town Hall

  A unique evening of film and music, revisiting the days when cinema first came to Birmingham. At the beginning of the 1900s, before cinemas had even been invented, a promoter called Waller Jeffs introduced the people of Birmingham to an amazing new entertainment called moving pictures. Audiences in their thousands crammed into the Curzon Hall on Suffolk Street to see a two-hour programme of films which roamed from exotic places across the world to footage of their own city, along with live music and performers like _Cyrus and Maud and their Educated Donkey_. Even the sound-effects were live, with children off-stage banging on lino to create the sound of gun-shots! A century later, the Flatpack Festival is opening with a tribute to this unique showman, right around the corner from the venue where the original shows took place. The event will be hosted by fifteen-piece band The Destroyers, formed at Birmingham Conservatoire and a hugely popular fixture on the festival circuit. They will playing a live score to the sort of films which you might have found at the ‘Curzonora’ shows, from the very first sci-fi movies (_Trip to the Moon_) and thrillers (_The Great Train Robbery_) to dramatic recreations from the Boer War. The lineup will also include films of Birmingham events from the Mitchell and Kenyon Collection, commissioned by Jeffs himself and not seen in the city for over a hundred years. The third Flatpack Festival runs from 11-15 March, with an eclectic mix of shorts, animation, features, live events and installations in venues across Birmingham. Full programme info is available at "www.flatpackfestival.org.uk":http://www.flatpackfestival.org.uk
  
  
  

• Jimmy Webb & The Webb Brothers  

  Sun 8 Nov Symphony Hall

  Jimmy Webb, his father Bob Webb, and his sons, The Webb Brothers - Christiaan, Justin, James and Cornelius - take the stage together for the first time to perform as a three-generation family band. The family will perform Jimmy Webb classics as well as notable Webb Brothers tunes. Tim Walker joins the band on pedal steel, with Cal Campbell on drums. The new outfit combines the rock sensibility and youthful production of the younger Webbs with the timeless Americana grandeur of their father’s symphonic songs. Jimmy Webb is the only artist ever to receive Grammy awards for music, lyrics, and orchestration. He’s been covered by Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, James Taylor, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, Arlo Guthrie, Barbra Streisand, R.E.M., Linda Ronstadt, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Art Garfunkel, Shawn Colvin, and Joe Cocker, and provided instant classics for Glen Campbell in _By The Time I Get To Phoenix_, _Wichita Lineman_, _Galveston_, plus Richard Harris and Donna Summer with _MacArthur Park_, _Didn’t We_ and the Fifth Dimension hit _Up, Up and Away_. As a performer, he blends his swift, biting sense of humor with elegant renditions of his classic songs. The Webb Brothers grew up immersed in music from an early age and were soon recording and performing together. They amassed a loyal cult following while releasing three records on Warner Brothers during the early 2000s. The critically acclaimed _Maroon_ was, according to The Guardian, 2000’s best all round reviewed album in the UK, making numerous top ten lists.
  
  
  

• World's Greatest Drummer 2008  

  Sat 15 Nov Town Hall

  In the 29th September 2007, Palmerlive held the sell-out concert 'The World's Greatest Drummer' to celebrate the music and the man who most agree was the world's greatest drummer, Buddy Rich. ''A top quality band playing 'full-on' accompanying each drummer, and so many legendary figures on one stage, made my night. The finale was astounding." Kevin Thomas, audience member. This year, six of the UK's leading drummers from a variety of musical backgrounds and fresh from touring all over the world, perform the music made famous by Buddy Rich. They are joined by the superb 'The World's Greatest Drummer Big Band', where only the best UK session musicians have been selected. Featuring UK leading drummers... *Steve White* Paul Weller, The Players *Gary Husband* John McLaughlin, Level 42 *Karl Brazil* James Blunt, Bodyrockers, James Morrison *Darrin Mooney* Primal Scream *Pete Cater* Pete Cater Big Band *Ian Palmer* Georgie Fame, The Liquid Theory Experience a very unique show, the only of its kind to appear in Town Hall to date. It's full of passion with quality drumming at its very best. See drummers perform Buddy Rich's music and then join forces to perform a heart stopping finale. We guarantee you will be on your feet and inspired by The World's Greatest Drummer, suitable for all the family and all musical tastes! Supported by Drummer and Rhythm Magazine and raising awareness for Teenage Cancer Trust
  *Unfortunately, Jon Brookes of The Charlatans is unable to perform in The World's Greatest Drummer. This is because he now has commitments with The Charlatans.* *We are pleased to announce that Darrin Mooney of Primal Scream will now be performing .*
  
  

• Ed Byrne ‘DIFFERENT CLASS’ 

  Change of Date

  Thu 19 Mar Town Hall

  *It is with great regret that the Ed Byrne performance from March 4 has been rescheduled to March 19. This is due to Ed being offered the fantastic opportunity of appearing in the opening show in the new series of Graham Norton which transmits Thursday March 5. Ed understands the inevitable inconvenience that this will cause his audience and is very sorry for this.* Half toff, half pikey... All comic! Comedy favourite returns with a blisteringly funny new one man show about marriage, class, the youth of today and anything else that strikes him as humorous. It's hard to say any more than that as this blurb had to be written in April when the new show was barely taking shape. He might end up doing an hour about going to the Opera for all I know. Oh, no he's done that. www.edbyrne.com “_His wit won deafening cheers and feet stomping_” The Guardian “_Dazzling_” The Sunday Times “_Jokes come so fast that hecklers don’t have a chance to get a word in edgeways_” The Times “_Hottest tip this year is Ed Byrne…fluent, assured and wicked_” The Sunday Times “_It is rare for a comic to merit the word “masterful” but in this case it is no overstatement_” The Scotsman “_His set had the audience in stitches for most of the evening - they roared their approval at the end - but he is technically excellent as well, the sure sign of a comic on the cusp of a major career. It does not come much better than this._” The Stage “_Utterly Charming_” The List “_Astoundingly polished material_” The Sunday Telegraph “_This charming man may well be threatening to give stand up a good name_” The List “_Byrne looks set to become a comic who will inspire as many swoons as guffaws_” The List “_A comedian with everything going for him, Ed Byrne has all the attributes to upgrade to the big time…see him_” The Independent “_He describes himself as a stick insect rather than a sex symbol but the high proportion of women hanging on his every witticism suggests otherwise. He may be thin and weedy but his material certainly is not._” Daily Express “_In complete rapport with his capacity audience_” The Scotsman “_A stunningly original piece of work - a comedy star_” Irish Times “_The audience went into rapture and insisted on an encore_” Time Out
  
  
  

• English Originals Weekend Festival Exploring the rich and diverse traditions of English Music 

  Fri 25 Apr - Sun 27 Apr Town Hall & Symphony Hall

  Much has been made recently of the musical traditions of Ireland and Scotland and more recently Welsh music has begun to assert itself. But what of our own English traditions? In the week of St George’s Day, three special concerts at Birmingham Town Hall and Symphony Hall celebrate Englishness, in all it’s diversity, from traditional folk to contemporary singer-songwriters, individuals all connected by a strong sense of place, identity and wit, as well as possessing some fine musical talent. National treasure and renowned singer-songwriter *Billy Bragg* opens the weekend (25 Apr) at Town Hall with an evening of exploration, looking at his own English roots and performing songs from his splendid new album _Mr Love and Justice_. Expect some special guests appearing on stage for a memorable night of inspired musical offerings from the ‘Baird of Barking’. Town Hall welcomes the fresh sound of emerging talent with an evening of Rising Folk (26 Apr), featuring *Seth Lakeman*, hot on the heels of his double 2007 BBC Radio 2 Folk Award success for ‘Best Album’ and ‘Singer of the Year’. A former band mate of Kate Rusby and Cara Dillon and now sharing a record label with KT Tunstall and Joss Stone, Seth is one of the rising stars of English folk. Organic shape shifting folk-electronica collective *Tunng* will also be performing, twisting familiar folk soundscapes with their stunning and unique blend of experimental production, live vocals and music along with more artists to be confirmed soon. Exploring the rich tradition of English female song and singers, the Festival presents the celebrated sounds of *Daughters of Albion* at Town Hall (27 Apr). Promising a night of dark wit interwoven with melancholy and passion, and featuring the talents of *Norma Waterson, June Tabor, Kathryn Williams, Bishi, Lou Rhodes and Lisa Knapp* this is a unique opportunity to let some of the finest female voices in this country take you on an exhilarating journey through English music traditions both past and present.
  
  
  

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