12 minute read
Two pairs of tickets to be won
YOU SHALL GO TO THE PROMS!
WIN TICKETS FOR THIS YEAR’S CBSO PROMS PERFORMANCE
Advertisement
Start your summer in style and join us for a musical stroll along the prom prom Proms at the world’s most famous classical music festival in the iconic setting of London’s Royal Albert Hall.
This year, the CBSO will be performing works by Glinka, Smyth and Rachmaninoff and are delighted that acclaimed violinist Elena Urioste and horn player Ben Goldscheider will be joining us. Our next Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor Kazuki Yamada conducts and this will be a particularly special occasion as it will mark Kazuki’s debut at the Proms. There are two pairs of tickets to be won and the prize includes return transfer from Birmingham by coach (see below for further details of the travel arrangements). To be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets simply answer this question:
Q. Who will be conducting this year’s CBSO BBC Proms performance?
Answers should be emailed to: marketing@cbso.co.uk with ‘Proms Competition’ in the subject line. Alternatively, entries can be posted to: Proms Competition, CBSO Marketing Department, CBSO Centre, Berkley Street, Birmingham B1 2LF. Please include your name, address and a contact number. The closing date for entries is Friday 15 July and the lucky winners will be notified week commencing 18 July. Good luck!
Coach travel details
The coach will leave Birmingham at 9.00am from the small roundabout on Cambridge Street (at the back of the REP Theatre). Once we arrive in London at approximately 12pm there will be two drop-offs –one at Marble Arch, one at the Royal Albert Hall, giving you an afternoon of leisure in the capital city. The Proms concert begins at 7.30pm and should end at approximately 9.30pm. After the concert, the coach will collect us from the Royal Albert Hall and we will arrive back in Birmingham at around midnight.
UP CLOSE WITH KAZUKI YAMADA
It’s certainly not every day that you make your BBC Proms debut, so ahead of rehearsals, we asked Kazuki to talk to us about how he’s feeling about the Proms and why there’s such a special connection there for him.
“Such an extremely exciting thing. When I heard that I received the offer of the job of the Chief Conductor I didn’t realise, at first… that this would mean conducting the CBSO at the Proms. But, after a week I thought ‘…Maybe I can go to the Proms!?’ so I called my manager and asked, ‘Can I go to the Proms?’ and they said ‘Yes. Of course’. It was such a shock – a good shock, I was so happy. It’s such a special place for me as, when I was very young, I went to the Proms. I was around 24 years old, and there was a long line to wait for tickets and finally, I bought one. It was very cheap, just £5, I think, and it was a standing ticket which was very near the stage in the second row and I enjoyed it so much. Such an atmosphere, I couldn’t believe it. So… now it’s…. amazing, unbelievable almost, for me to be going back there to conduct.”
We also asked him to tell us a little about the music he’ll be conducting in Birmingham and at the Proms.
“It’s a very unique programme as Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No.2 is so famous and to combine this with the Smyth (Concerto for Violin and Horn) which actually, I didn’t know, but it’s such lovely music that when I heard it for the first time I said ‘Yes, I’d like to conduct this piece.’ And there are so many colours and warmth to this music that I’m sure both the concerts in Birmingham and London will be great and I can picture us playing these so clearly, I can just imagine it perfectly.”
COME ALONG AND LISTEN...
Tuesday 20 September 2022, 7.30pm
Symphony Hall, Birmingham
A New World: Kazuki Yamada and Nicola Benedetti
CBSO Chorus
Dvořák Carnival Overture Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Grigorjeva In Paradisum Dvořák Symphony No.9 (New World)
A burst of joy: Dvořák’s Carnival Overture is one of those pieces that makes the whole orchestra seem to tingle. Kazuki Yamada launches a concert filled with celebration – from the poetry of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, played by our good friend Nicola Benedetti, to the heartfelt melodies of the New World Symphony. And the CBSO Chorus shares a moment of reflection from Ukraine, at the very start of our new Season.
Wednesday 1 February 2023, 7.30pm & Thursday 2 February 2023, 2.15pm
Symphony Hall, Birmingham
Kazuki conducts The Planets
CBSO Youth Chorus
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.2 Holst The Planets
Mars, Venus, Jupiter… everyone has their favourite bit of The Planets. But there’s more to Holst’s masterpiece than just good melodies, and in the hands of Kazuki Yamada this great British classic will become a journey to the outer limits of the imagination itself. Plus, if you like Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto, you’ll be bowled over by his Second – performed by the phenomenal Alexandre Kantorow.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
LEAVING A GIFT IN YOUR WILL
Earlier this year the CBSO announced a renewed partnership with local legal experts Nicholls Brimble Bhol Solicitors to help promote the importance of making a Will. Memberships and Appeals Manager Eve Vines shares what legacy giving means to the CBSO and how you could benefit from this new partnership.
“For many years, the CBSO has been an important part of my social life, bringing me not only a breadth of music, familiar and unknown, but also an opportunity to meet like-minded people who share an appreciation of music and recognition of its value. By bequeathing a legacy in my Will, I wished to thank the musicians, present and future, for the great pleasure they have brought me and to contribute to the continuation of the orchestra in years to come so that others who follow me will likewise enjoy the music of the CBSO. Incidentally, donating to a charity also affects inheritance tax – in a good way.” I see the act of leaving a legacy gift as the ultimate compliment a supporter could give to a charity. The fact that someone has chosen, amongst friends and family who were dearest to them, one or more charities to leave their hard-earned assets to, regardless of the value is, to me, humbling and inspiring. When the charity chosen is the CBSO, of course, it’s even more special.
The motivations behind someone’s decision to leave a gift to the CBSO in their Will are vast, but in my experience most people are wanting to achieve two things – to thank the Orchestra for the joy they’ve had during their lifetime and to play their part in ensuring that joy remains for generations to come. For the CBSO, legacy giving is a vital part of our fundraising mix. On average each year, legacies contribute around 10% of our overall fundraised income. Of course, we can’t rely on a steady income of legacies, and we very much hope that our audiences are living, breathing and enjoying life (and concerts) for as long as humanly possible! However, when we receive news of a gift left to us in someone’s Will, it is heartwarming and uplifting and feels like a special surprise that we carefully invest in the future of the CBSO. It’s often the case that we don’t know during someone’s lifetime that they’re planning to do this exceptional thing. But when we do, we’re able to say thank you – and that’s so important to us. Each year we host two legacy donor receptions to help us do just
“Attending a CBSO Concert at Symphony Hall is always a special occasion. Speaking with others, reveals this to be a common experience. I think many of us realised what we were missing when the pandemic happened, and we could no longer enjoy being together in Symphony Hall. I feel it is a privilege to have the opportunity to support the Orchestra with a legacy, thus ensuring that others have opportunities to enjoy live classical music of such a high standard. The CBSO has recently celebrated its Centenary and should be financially facilitated to continue for another 100 years, at least!”
For more information about leaving a gift in your Will for the CBSO please visit cbso.co.uk/legacies or call Eve Vines on 0121 616 6541. Becoming a CBSO Legacy Donor we’ll keep you updated on our work and plans for the future, introduce you to our musicians at our annual thank you receptions and – if you wish – acknowledge your generosity in our concert programmes and online. Legacy Donor Receptions in the 2022/23 Season will take place on Thursday 10 November from 6.45pm and Wednesday 3 May from 1.30pm.
Income received from legacies enables us to plan with confidence. They help bring an element of financial stability and ensure the Orchestra can continue to flourish. It’s important to stress that leaving a gift in your Will isn’t for the super-rich – gifts of all sizes can, and do, help the CBSO in their entirety. Every single gift is important to us and will be invested and spent with care under the terms you express.
As our musical ambition increases through the Sound of Future campaign, so does our determination to inspire more of our audience to give the ultimate gift so that, together, we can secure the CBSO’s longer-term future and make an even bigger contribution to cultural life in the West Midlands throughout our second century.
We’re thrilled that local solicitors Nicholls Brimble Bhol are helping us in this mission. Through their renewed partnership, they have extended their support by becoming Silver Corporate Partners. In increasing their support for the Orchestra, they are offering CBSO audiences a free Will-writing or amendment service*. Their independent and experienced team can guide you through making a Will, ensuring all your needs are catered for. Our combined hope is that more people will consider leaving a gift in their Will, strengthening our collective resolve to create a bright musical future.
“Now that I am nicely embarked on middle age (a usefully elastic category which must span at least 30 years), I have finally got round to the practicality of making a Will. Whilst certainly not rich, I am comfortable but crucially, it’s much easier to be financially generous after death than before; I simply couldn’t sensibly afford to donate this much whilst still alive. It’s just a shame I won’t be around to see it! I came to Birmingham as a student in the late 1990s as a fan of all forms of music but with a particular love of live classical performances. When I discovered that student standby tickets could be had on the night for £3, I was hooked. I think the crux of my decision is that over the years I have got to know other orchestras and venues, and this has given me a new perspective on just how good the CBSO is. I want to be able to contribute to an orchestra which is world-class yet rooted in its community; a home for top talent, whilst continuing and expanding its outreach programmes; stellar, yet grounded. Perhaps I should stress that word “contribute”: obviously my bequest can’t begin to cover the CBSO’s running costs, but it is a small step in the right direction, and I stress to others reading this that any gift, no matter how modest, can only be a good thing.
I have asked to remain anonymous because this is of course a deeply personal choice and I’m not particularly comfortable being in the spotlight on such matters. I’m not seeking to persuade anyone to leave a bequest; rather I am happy to simply explain my own reasons for doing so, and if they chime with anyone reading this, then so much the better. If I may be selfish, I have gained a great deal of contentment knowing that my affairs are in order should the proverbial bus flatten me tomorrow, and that in this small way I can help secure the orchestra of the future.” “The cuts in government funding and squeeze on local authority funding over recent years concentrated our minds about just how important the CBSO was to us. We started sponsoring a player and enjoyed becoming more involved generally. It made us even more convinced about how essential the Orchestra is to the city and the need to secure its future for the next hundred years. Birmingham’s Triennial Festivals attracted world famous composers and musicians to Birmingham in the 19th century, and the CBSO followed on with a glorious first century at the centre of British music. What better, than to carry on supporting it after we die, so we have also made a bequest in our Wills.”
Nicholls Brimble Bhol Solicitors offer a comprehensive service for individuals that want to amend or draft a Will and have offered CBSO audiences access to this service*. For a confidential conversation, contact Chris Nicholls at Nicholls Brimble Bhol on 0121 726 9999/info@nbblaw.co.uk.
* The first 20 standard Wills are free of charge. Following that CBSO audiences will benefit from a 20% discount on the standard fees.
LOVE TO SING?
THEN WHY NOT JOIN THE CBSO CHORUS?
There are opportunities for all ages and voice parts so before too long, you could be on stage with the CBSO. Find out more at cbso.co.uk/sing
SHIRELAND CBSO ACADEMY
Shireland CBSO Academy is the result of an exciting partnership between Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust (S-CAT) and the CBSO and will open its doors to Year 7 and 12 students for the first time in September 2023.
S-CAT was established in 2007 and founded by three-times Ofsted Outstanding Shireland Collegiate Academy.
The Academy will be the first state school in Britain to be established in collaboration with an orchestra, marking a radical new approach to music education, innovatively addressing the much-publicised decline in the position of the creative arts in many schools.
Shireland CBSO Academy will deliver an outstanding education for its students built on a foundation of academic and musical excellence. Based in West Bromwich and serving Sandwell and the wider West Midlands, it will be a non-selective state school delivering a broad curriculum and welcoming children of all backgrounds who have a passion for music. Every student will receive instrumental or vocal lessons and this will be complemented by, for example, visits to the CBSO to see the orchestra perform and regular workshops with professional musicians. Applications for places in Year 7 in September 2023 open in July this year, with Year 12 applications opening in September. Please see the Academy’s website for further information: www.shirelandcbso.org.uk
