THE MIDLANDS ESSENTIAL ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE

Classical Music PREVIEWS
Holst: The Planets
Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sat 15 June
Forming part of the Birmingham International Concert Season, this Philharmonic Orchestra performance
of a truly memorable work is the finale of the Town Hall and Symphony Hall’s Universe
Of Sound project. A firm favourite with UK audiences and one of the most recorded
pieces of British music, Holst’s seven-movement orchestra suite is a depiction of each of the
astrological planets known to man at the time of the work’s conception (between 1914 and
1916). Acclaimed Icelandic/Russian conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy (pictured) is the talent at the
helm of this particular performance, and is accompanied by James Ehnes on violin and the
Ladies of the Birmingham City Choir. Other highlights in the Universe Of Sound project include
a digital installation at Birmingham Municipal Bank, which runs until 16 June; an accompanied
screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey at Symphony Hall on 14 June; and a Universe Of Sound
Family Day at Symphony Hall on 15 June.
Last Night Of The Proms
Ludlow Castle, South Shropshire,
Sun 23 June
Author, broadcaster, after-dinner speaker and
former MP Gyles Brandreth here hosts an
evening of patriotic entertainment as part of
the new Ludlow Arts Festival. The programme
of popular classics - including Jerusalem,
Pomp And Circumstance, Nessum Dorma
and the William Tell Overture - is performed
by the English National Philharmonic Orchestra,
and features conductor Ben Crick, soprano
Claire Ormshaw and tenor Lee Bradley.
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Blake
The Place, Oakengates Theatre, Fri 28
June; Palace Theatre, Redditch, Sat 19
October
Comprising Ollie Baines, Humphrey
Berney and Stephen Bowman, Blake are
credited for bringing classical music to the
masses - an achievement recognised
when their debut offering won Album of
the Year at the Classical Brit Awards in
2008. Fusing classical, rock, pop and
musical favourites, the boys continue to
enjoy worldwide success, and this month
return to the Midlands to share stories
from their recent tour of Asia, America and
Europe, as well as perform numbers from
their recently released album Start Over.
Classical soprano Natalie Coyle supports.
Welsh National Opera:
Wagner Dream
Birmingham Hippodrome, Wed 12 June
Founded in Cardiff in 1943, Welsh National
Opera is committed to producing operas
which are extremely accessible for its
audiences, whether they be opera-going
regulars or people attending an opera for
the very first time. Here, the company
commemorate the bicentenary of Wagner
with a performance of Jonathan Harvey’s
visionary score, depicting the German
composer’s final days in Venice and working
on the premise that he was in the
process of producing a Buddhist drama.
By fusing together biography with a notion
of ‘what might have been’, this reflective
twenty-first century piece - using Harvey’s
renowned electronic style - recaptures the
epic scale of a typical Wagner score...
WNO’s performance of the work precedes
Antony McDonald’s new production of
Wagner’s popular romantic opera Lohengrin.
A sumptuous symphonic piece, it
features, on this occasion, Peter Wedd in
the title role and Emma Bell as Elsa.
Ex Cathedra: Mozart Vespers
By Candlelight
The Oratory, Birmingham, Wed 19 June
With a repertoire ranging from the twelfth
to the twenty-first century, Birminghambased
Ex Cathedra is recognised as one
of the UK’s leading choir and Early Music
ensembles. This summer concert sees
them presenting Mozart’s Laudate
Dominum, which has been described as
the best-loved of all the composer’s sacred
arias. Under the directorship of conductor
Jeffrey Skidmore, the concert also features
soprano Katie Trethewey, alto Martha
McLorinan, tenor Jeremy Budd and bass
Greg Skidmore.