What's On October 2019

WHAT’S ON

OCTOBER Town Hall Symphony Hall is proud to support Black History Month

BOOK ONLINE: thsh.co.uk

WHAT’S ON AT TOWN HALL SYMPHONY HALL RESIDENT ORCHESTRA

ASSOCIATE ARTISTS

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Ex Cathedra, Birmingham City Organist Thomas Trotter, Black Voices

Certain events by Resident Orchestra or Associate Artists are included in respective concert packages.

Contact the Box Office for more information.

HOW TO BOOK By phone: 0121 780 3333

Online: www.thsh.co.uk

In person: Town Hall Box Office is open two hours before the start time of a performance.

Symphony Hall Box Office, in the ICC is open 10am – 6pm (Monday – Saturday). Closed Sundays and Bank Holidays except when there is an event (open two hours before event starts).

DISCOUNTS & PACKAGES

HOW TO REACH US

For more details visit thsh.co.uk

NOT NORMAL – NOT OK Town Hall Symphony Hall are proud to support the Not Normal – Not OK campaign, to encourage safety and respect within live music venues.

Town Hall is located in Victoria Square, Birmingham, B3 3DQ.

Symphony Hall is located within the International Convention Centre, 8 Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EA. For further information visit www.thsh.co.uk/your-visit Funded by

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Town Hall renovation also funded by

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BOOK NOW 0121 780 3333 www.thsh.co.uk

Tue 1

Wed 2

7:30PM

Town Hall

LULU – ON FIRE

8PM

Symphony Hall Stage

SEYED ALI JABERI AND THE HAMDEL ENSEMBLE

Don’t miss this special opportunity to see Lulu live, as she recounts her remarkable career. Lulu will have you sitting, standing, dancing, singing, laughing and simply listening to her amazing story.

Internationally acclaimed Musician and Composer, Seyed Ali Jaberi, and the Hamdel Ensemble bring the mystical poetry of Persia’s beloved Rumi to life.

This unique music production combines hauntingly beautiful Sufi music with whirling dervish dance and poetry.

7:30PM Town Hall

ARMISTEAD MAUPIN

7:30PM Symphony Hall

CITY OF BIRMINGHAM ORCHESTRA PRESENT ALISON BALSOM PLAYS MUSGRAVE

In his first ever UK tour, we present an evening with the bestselling, much-loved author and LGBT activist, Armistead Maupin. Best known for his iconic and ground-breaking series Tales of the City was first published as a column in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Alison Balsom plays a stunning new concerto by living legend Thea Musgrave, and we champion a home-grown masterpiece from 1946 by former CBSO oboist Ruth Gipps.

Fri 4

6:30PM Symphony Hall Stage

THSH REGGAE CHOIR WORKSHOP FREE

7:30PM Symphony Hall

AN EVENING WITH WILL YOUNG PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS SOLD OUT

7:30PM Town Hall

JAMES ACASTER – COLD LASAGNE HATE MYSELF 1999 SOLD OUT

Come and join Carol Pemberton MBE and Celia Wickham-Anderson and learn to sing classic reggae songs.

Pop icon Will Young will be performing his new album Lexicon.

James Acaster will perform his sell out show Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999.

Sat 5

7:30PM Symphony Hall

JONATHAN PIE: THE FAKE NEWS TOUR

7:30PM Town Hall

KANO SOLD OUT

8PM

MARY HALVORSON “CODE GIRL”

CBSO Centre

If no news is good news then good news is fake news. Jonathan Pie returns to the road once more to berate the people in power – and the journalists apparently holding them to account.

From the same East London grime scene that spawned Wiley, Durrty Goodz and Shystie among others, Kano has a similar star quality, character and pedigree.

One of New York City’s most in-demand guitarists Halvorson presents her most recently debuted Code Girl (2018), a new ensemble featuring vocalist Amirtha Kidambi, saxophone and vocalist Maria Grand, trumpeter Adam O’Farrill , bassist Michael Formanek, and drummer Tomas Fujiwara.

BOOK ONLINE: thsh.co.uk

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Sun 6

2:30PM Town Hall

MALORIE BLACKMAN IN CONVERSATION

7:30PM Town Hall

PAM AYRES

7:30PM Symphony Hall

BELINDA CARLISLE – RUNAWAY HORSES 30TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

Mon 7

7:30PM Town Hall

MIDGE URE – VIENNA & VISAGE – 1980 TOUR SOLD OUT

Tue 8

7:30PM Symphony Hall

SIMON ARMITAGE: IN CONVERSATION WITH STUART MACONIE

Wed 9

7:30PM Town Hall

WALTER TROUT PLUS SPECIAL GUEST DAN PATLANSKY

Thu 10

8PM

AL STEWART

Join legendary author Malorie Blackman as she introduces us to her long-awaited new novel Crossfire, the latest title in her ground-breaking Noughts & Crosses series.

Pam Ayres will be performing poems from her new book Up In The Attic, along with classic poems and stories from her long career.

Belinda Carlisle began her career as co-founder and lead vocalist of groundbreaking all-female new wave/rock band The Go-Go’s has amassed worldwide sales in excess of 15 million albums and singles.

This is the very first time in the 40 years since Vienna was made that the album will be performed in its entirety.

Join Birmingham Literature Festival and Town Hall Symphony Hall for a special evening of poetry and conversation, with the new UK Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage, one of our best-loved poets and a Birmingham Literature Festival favourite.

Walter Trout plays earth shattering blues rock music. Plus special guest, Dan Patlansky, who has become one of the busiest and most respected blues artists to ever come out of South Africa.

Town Hall

After touring for the last year in the USA with his band the Empty Pockets, Al has decided to bring this show to the UK shores.

8PM

Symphony Hall

THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL – CELEBRATING THE MUSIC OF WHITNEY HOUSTON

Featuring the breathtaking vocals of Belinda Davids accompanied by the sensational National Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.

Fri 11

12PM

BRING YOUR OWN BABY COMEDY – BIRMINGHAM COMEDY FESTIVAL SPECIAL

Town Hall

Bring Your Own Baby Comedy is the UK’s premier baby friendly comedy club!

5PM

Symphony Hall/ ICC Halls

6:30PM Symphony Hall Stage

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DELANO MILLS’ NOT STRICTLY JAZZ JAZZLINES FREE GIGS FREE

Unwind to the sounds of jazz, with a touch of reggae and an influence from Grover Washington.

THSH REGGAE CHOIR WORKSHOP FREE

Come and join Carol Pemberton MBE and Celia Wickham-Anderson and learn to sing classic reggae songs.

BY PHONE: 0121 780 3333

Fri 11

8PM

Town Hall

HENNING WEHN: GETTING ON WITH IT SOLD OUT

Sat 12

2PM

Town Hall

REAL LIFE PARENTING: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE FUNNY

8PM

Town Hall

3PM

Symphony Hall

Sun 13

Mon 14

You couldn’t make it up; surely the German Comedy Ambassador Henning Wehn hasn’t bosched out yet another new show? And what’s he still doing here anyway? Well, his lack of transferable skills is what keeps him here and his belief that practise makes perfect is what keeps him going.

Birmingham Literature Festival and Town Hall Symphony Hall are delighted to bring together a panel of well-known writers and bloggers who between them are sharing true stories of life at the coalface of parenting – with not an Instagram filter or hashtag in sight.

HENNING WEHN: GETTING ON WITH IT SOLD OUT

You couldn’t make it up; surely the German Comedy Ambassador Henning Wehn hasn’t bosched out yet another new show? And what’s he still doing here anyway? Well, his lack of transferable skills is what keeps him here and his belief that practise makes perfect is what keeps him going.

DAS RHEINGOLD – BPO

Join the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra for this unique concert performance of Wagner’s Das Rheingold to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the opera’s premiere in September 1869.

8:30PM Symphony Hall

BRUM CRAIC – BIRMINGHAM COMEDY FESTIVAL SPECIAL

1PM

Town Hall

LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT – THOMAS TROTTER

8PM

Symphony Hall

FRIDAY NIGHT IS MUSIC NIGHT LIVE PRESENTS THE SONGS OF STEVIE WONDER STARRING BEVERLEY KNIGHT

Brum Craic is back for Birmingham Comedy Festival! As always we will be celebrating the best up-and-coming new acts, but this time join us for a very special intimate show performing against the backdrop of the world-renowned 2,262 seat venue.

Thomas Trotter celebrates one of the most extraordinary moments in Birmingham’s musical history - with music by Mendelssohn, of course, but also Mendelssohn’s hero Bach.

UK soul queen Beverley Knight will celebrate the songs of Stevie Wonder as part of BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night Is Music Night Live.

Tue 15

6:15PM Symphony Hall

PRE-CONCERT CONVERSATION WITH PIANIST ALEXANDRA DARIESCU

Discover more as guests from the Birmingham Classical 2019/2020 season discuss their lives, programme and influences at these free Pre- and PostConcert Conversations.

BOOK ONLINE: thsh.co.uk

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THE TROJAN RECORDS STORY This October, Gary Crosby’s sensational Jazz Jamaica All Stars with special guests Brinsley Forde, Noel McKoy and rising vocal stars Dem 3 celebrate the legendary label and artists of Trojan Records.

The London-based label was the first to distribute the music of Jamaica on a grand scale, becoming for many in the UK the first point of contact with Jamaican music and culture and offering a meeting place for young people to celebrate in sound what unites rather than divides us.

On July 28th 1967, British-based Jamaican music company, Island Records launched a label to showcase the output of one of the most popular and successful producers of the ska and rock steady eras – Arthur ‘Duke’ Reid.

The imprint, called ‘Trojan’ after the title Mr. Reid had acquired during his early days in the music business, surprisingly failed to fulfil its potential and folded after a matter of months. And this may well have been the end of the Trojan story had it not been for the creation of a new Jamaican music company, launched in the summer of ’68, which was in need of a suitably dynamic name.

The result of a merger between by Island Records and one of its main competitors, B&C, Trojan Records promptly launched an ambitious programme of issuing singles on a variety of labels that highlighted music from every producer of note, ranging from Britishbased music makers such as Robert ‘Dandy’ 6

Thompson, to such esteemed Jamaican operators as Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Edward ‘Bunny’ Lee and, of course, Duke Reid himself.

Trojan’s rapid growth during its first year was due in no small part to the development of a working class youth movement that embraced Jamaican music as part and parcel of its culture: skinheads.

The purchasing power of this fast developing demographic resulted in an explosion in sales and in the summer of ‘69 the company enjoyed its first mainstream hit with ‘Red Red Wine’ by a little known British-based singer Tony Tribe.

Its success was soon eclipsed when the Upsetters, the Pioneers, Jimmy Cliff and Harry J’s All Stars all made their way onto the higher reaches of the mainstream listings.

The Trojan bandwagon rolled on remorselessly into the new decade, with the likes of Desmond Dekker, the Maytals and Bob & Marcia all flying high on the British Pop charts.

In the spring of 1971, Dave & Ansel Collins’ ‘Double Barrel’ provided Trojan its first UK number one, while further chart entries followed with hit singles by Bruce Ruffin, Greyhound and the Pioneers.

BY PHONE: 0121 780 3333

Aside from their overtly commercial output, the company also highlighted music by artists largely unknown outside Jamaica, many of which would later become major international recording stars – among these were Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs and a Kingston-based vocal trio called Bob Marley & the Wailers.

The success of bands such as the Specials and Madness sparked renewed interest in vintage ska and reggae classics and for a time Trojan thrived once more, with compilations, such as ’20 Reggae Classsics’ and Bob Marley‘s ‘In The Beginning’, compiled by label manager, Patrick Meads, selling particularly strongly.

Trojan remained hugely successful over the next year or so, with further major hits from Dandy Livingstone, John Holt, Ken Boothe and the larger than life ex-bouncer, Judge Dread, but in 1975, after experiencing financial difficulties, the label acquired a new owner in Marcel Rodd.

Much has changed since the summer of 1968, yet despite the rise and fall of numerous music trends and the development of new formats on which music can be acquired, Trojan Records has consistently maintained a significant and relevant presence in an ever-competitive market.

And such is the vast wealth of music at its disposal there is no reason why it should not continue to do so for many, many years to come.

Rodd’s inexperience with Jamaican music proved costly and despite signing new deals with a number of up-and-coming producers, Trojan struggled, but as the seventies came to a close, the ‘Ska Revival’ brought a dramatic upturn in its fortunes.

BOOK ONLINE: thsh.co.uk

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Tue 15

7:30PM Symphony Hall

MOSCOW PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA – SHOSTAKOVICH NO 10

7:30PM Town Hall

NADIYA HUSSAIN: FINDING MY VOICE

8PM

PATRICK WHITE AND THE URBAN SOUL FAMILY

Under their chief conductor Yuri Simonov, the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra won’t hold back – and that goes double when pianist Alexandra Dariescu plays Tchaikovsky’s glittering concerto, in her long-awaited Birmingham debut.

Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain celebrates the publication of her brand-new memoir, in her own warm, honest and humorous way.

The Jam House

Join one of Birmingham’s grooviest collectives for a great night of Jazz, Gospel, Funk, Soul and Pop.

Wed 16

7:30PM Symphony Hall

AND IN THE END... A CELEBRATION OF ABBEY ROAD AND LET IT BE

Thu 17

7:30PM Town Hall

KEVIN BLOODY WILSON LIMITED AVAILABILITY

7:30PM Symphony Hall

CBSO: THE THRILL OF THE NEW

5PM

OXLEY-MEIER GUITAR PROJECT JAZZLINES FREE GIGS FREE

Fri 18

The award-winning Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the nation’s premier Beatle group The Bootleg Beatles are delighted to announce they will team up a second time for a special concert to mark the fiftieth anniversaries of the releases of two of The Beatles’ most iconic albums, Abbey Road and Let It Be.

Kevin Wilson songs are uniquely Australian, and yet year after year, album after album, tour after tour, people from all corners of the globe keep laughing at his completely authentic and original body of work.

Paul Rissmann will be your entertaining guide to these brave new worlds, and the full CBSO (plus a large screen) will illustrate his journey with short pieces by a wide range of our most engaging composers.

Symphony Hall / ICC Halls

Guitar duo featuring Peter Oxley and Swiss Guitarist Nicolas Meier.

7:30PM Town Hall

LLOYD COLE – FROM RATTLESNAKES TO GUESSWORK 2019 TOUR

7:30PM Symphony Hall

MUSIC FROM THE MOVIES

Lloyd Cole’s new album Guesswork mirrors the uncertainty of the world as you enter your third act.

Celebrate the glitz and glamour of the awards season with a magnificent selection of Oscar-winning scores from the last eight decades of fantastic film making. Including; Lord Of The Rings, Star Wars, Out Of Africa, The Godfather, Jaws and many more!

Sat 19

8

7:30PM Symphony Hall

RIT IT UP: THE 70s

From the Producers of Rip it Up the 50s and 60s comes the greatest music decade ever! Join Olympic champion Louis Smith, Rachel Stevens (S Club 7), Melody Thornton (Pussycat Dolls) and Lee Ryan (Blue) for a groovy evening of singing and dancing.

BY PHONE: 0121 780 3333

Sun 20

3PM

Symphony Hall

CITY OF BIRMINGHAM ORCHESTRA PRESENT SAINT SAËNS: ORGAN SYMPHONY LIMITED AVAILABILITY

There’s nothing quite like hearing Saint-Saëns’ Third Symphony played live and City Organist Thomas Trotter delivers the fireworks today: crowning a cavalcade of tuneful favourites by Sibelius, Widor, Dukas and Ravel.

8PM

Town Hall

LIVE ON MARS – A TRIBUTE TO DAVID BOWIE

8PM

Symphony Hall

OUT OF THE ASHES: A BRAND NEW EVENING WITH BOYCOTT & AGGERS

Following its acclaimed 2018 UK tour, LIVE ON MARS, returns in 2019 to continue its amazing journey celebrating the very best of iconic pop hero David Bowie; his music, artistry, style and showmanship.

No Ashes year would be complete without An Evening With Boycott and Aggers and there’s nothing like a battle with the old enemy to bring out the belligerent best in this brilliant, brand new show.

Mon 21

7:30PM Symphony Hall

CHRIS DE BURGH

Tue 22

6:30PM Symphony Hall Stage

THSH REGGAE CHOIR WORKSHOP FREE

7:30PM Town Hall

BEN ELTON SOLD OUT

7:30PM Town Hall

SONS OF PITCHES – AROUND THE WORLD – INTERNATIONAL HITS AND SKITS TO HAVE YOU IN FITS

Wed 23

Chris de Burgh will perform two of his most outstanding recordings, Into The Light and Moonfleet & Other Stories, back to back and in their entirety, on his Classic Albums Tour.

Come and join Carol Pemberton MBE and Celia Wickham-Anderson and learn to sing classic reggae songs. After eleven workshops, you will perform live with Jazz Jamaica All Stars as part of The Trojan Story on stage at the Birmingham Town Hall.

Ben Elton is back on the road with an all new stand-up show, promises to try and make sense of a world which appears to have gone stark raving mad.

Ready to go on a journey like no other? This Autumn, Winners of BBC’s The Naked Choir, The Sons of Pitches are taking you on an A Cappella journey ‘Around The World’!

Thu 24

7:30PM Symphony Hall

SQUEEZE PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS HEAVEN 17 SOLD OUT

7:30PM Symphony Hall

CITY OF BIRMINGHAM ORCHESTRA PRESENT BRUCH’S VIOLIN CONCERTO

Squeeze will be bringing their scintillating live performances to Symphony Hall, treating you to not just the hits, but also rarities that span their 45 year career.

Simone Lamsma performs the world’s best-loved violin concerto. Wagner’s prelude to The Mastersingers of Nuremberg is a majestic way to start.

Fri 25

5PM

ICC Halls

FREE FRIDAY JAZZ FREE

Unwind in the halls after a long week to the sensational sounds of talented jazz musicians.

BOOK ONLINE: thsh.co.uk

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Fri 25

6:30PM Town Hall

THSH REGGAE CHOIR WORKSHOP FREE

7:30PM Town Hall

JAZZ JAMAICA ALL STARS: THE TROJAN STORY

9PM

LISSIE: WHEN I’M ALONE – THE PIANO RETROSPECTIVE TOUR SOLD OUT

Symphony Hall Stage

Come and join Carol Pemberton MBE and Celia Wickham-Anderson and learn to sing classic reggae songs. After eleven workshops, you will perform live with Jazz Jamaica All Stars as part of The Trojan Story on stage at the Birmingham Town Hall.

Established in 1968, Trojan was the first company to distribute the music of Jamaica on a grand scale, becoming for many in the UK the first point of contact with the island’s music and culture.

Join Lissie and her piano for an intimate gig on stage at Symphony Hall, where she performs tracks from her new album, When I’m Alone: The Piano Retrospective against the backdrop of the world-renowned 2,262 seat venue.

Sat 26

1:30PM ICC Halls

Sun 27

2PM

THE NOTEBENDERS – SAX AND THE CITY FREE

Birmingham’s community big band set up by Andy Hamilton plays its monthly concert at Symphony Hall.

Symphony Hall

THE GRUFFALO & THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD FILMS WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA

Based on the much-loved children’s books written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, we are delighted to present the world premiere of the wonderful animations, The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child, as Terry Davies conducts René Aubry’s inspired scores in this double film with orchestra performance.

4PM

Town Hall

EX CATHEDRA PRESENT RACHMANINOFF VESPERS

Radiant, reflective and deeply moving, Rachmaninoff’s Vespers is a heartfelt response to a deep-rooted and personal faith.

Symphony Hall

ZOG & THE GRUFFALO – FILM WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA

7:30PM Hare & Hounds

JAZZLINES AND LEFTFOOT PRESENT OSCAR JEROME

10AM – Symphony Hall 4PM

JAZZLINES’ OCTOBER HALF TERM SESSIONS

5PM

Mon 28 until Wed 30 10

Featured on BBC over Christmas 2018 and based on the much-loved children’s books written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, we are delighted to present the WORLD PREMIERE live concert performance of the wonderful animations, Zog followed by a performance of The Gruffalo, as Terry Davies conducts René Aubry’s inspired scores.

Meet the Gruffalo on the day!

Oscar Jerome will perform at the Hare & Hounds with a full band, following his performance at Mostly Jazz Funk and Soul Festival 2019.

(OPEN TO MUSICIANS AGED 11–19)

Directed by Laura Jurd. For more information go to www.thsh.co.uk and search ‘Half Term Sessions’

BOOK ONLINE: thsh.co.uk

Mon 28

1PM

Symphony Hall

LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT – WAYNE MARSHALL LIMITED AVAILABILITY

Virtuoso pianist, inspirational conductor and organist extraordinaire – whatever he chooses to do, Wayne Marshall is one of the most charismatic figures in 21st century music.

7:30PM Symphony Hall

MARGARET ATWOOD

Tue 29

7:30PM Symphony Hall

LISA STANSFIELD – AFFECTION 30TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

Wed 30

2:15PM Symphony Hall

CITY OF BIRMINGHAM ORCHESTRA PRESENT DVOŘÁK’S SEVENTH

7:30PM Town Hall

BIG BIG TRAIN IN CONCERT SOLD OUT

8PM

MARK LOCKHEART – DAYS ON EARTH

Thu 31

The event will cover the length of Margaret Atwood’s remarkable career, her diverse range of works, and why she has returned to her seminal Handmaid story, 34 years later. Don’t miss this remarkable evening.

See Lisa Stansfield and her prodigious band perform the hits and more from Affection, alongside favourites and classics from her seven subsequent solo records.

Symphony Hall Stage

7:30PM Symphony Hall

Under the award-winning German conductor Anja Bihlmaier, Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony will make a powerful contrast to the sensuous soundworlds of Chausson and Ravel, conjured up today by the inimitable Renaud Capuçon.

Four times Progressive Music Award winning band, Big Big Train, reached number one in the UK Official rock album charts with their 2017 album, Grimspound and number two with their recent live album, Merchants of Light.

‘Days On Earth’ is perhaps Lockheart’s most ambitious and personal work to date. Composed over the last three years and recorded recently at Mark Knofler’s famous studios the work features a jazz sextet and 30 piece orchestra.

A CELEBRATION OF THE MUSIC FROM GAME OF THRONES, LORD OF THE RINGS, AND THE HOBBIT

They are the most beloved and recognisable big and small screen creations of all time and now the music of Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit will be celebrated in a special orchestral concert at Birmingham Symphony Hall.

7:30PM Town Hall

HALLOWEEN SILENT MOVIE SPECIAL – THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

There’s nothing quite like the sound of the historic Town Hall organ to send shivers down your spine at Halloween. Join us if you dare...

8PM

Hare & Hounds

JAZZLINES PRESENTS ATLAS

Atlas aim to create a progressive and unique sound with a clear identity – one that blends together elements of acoustic jazz with electronics, textural soundscapes, free improvisation, driving grooves which underpin strong melodies and dense harmonies.

BOOK ONLINE: thsh.co.uk

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Symphony Hall has launched an exciting building project which is about far more than giving visitors a warmer welcome to one of Birmingham’s best venues.

The Making an Entrance plan is for a large extension on the front, to make room for more free, informal music performances in the foyers. They will provide a platform for talented local artists and make the building more accessible to the whole city. Nick Reed, Chief Executive of Town Hall Symphony Hall, says: “We currently reach more than 18,000 people with our learning and community programme and over the coming years we will be able to reach thousands more in the transformed spaces that this project will create.

There’s something unique about a live performance. It’s unrepeatable, it just happens now in this space, and it lives in the memory. Listening to music together is unifying and something we should cherish, especially in these fractious times.”

If you, like us, believe that music should be accessible for all, please visit making-an-entrance.thsh.co.uk or call 0121 644 5007 to make a donation.