BCMG Family Concerts

CBSO Centre, Birmingham
Berkley Street, Birmingham
United Kingdom

BCMG
Conductor: Nicholas Collon
Director: Tim Hopkins

Transformation is a familiar part of everyone’s childhood. Just as the imaginative minds of children turn cardboard boxes into secret dens, pirate ships or space rockets, the playful minds of composers turn pavans into foxtrots and ancient melodies into blazing modern sounds.

Now in their fifth year, our Family Concerts introduce young people to the exciting world of contemporary music. Programmed by BCMG Artist-in-Association, John Woolrich, these hour-long concerts will interweave film and theatre with the music to create fun, colourful and engaging concerts to ignite young imaginations.

Transformation is at the heart of this season’s Family Concerts. Composers often recycle old ideas, create new versions of music from the past or borrow from the music of other composers. This concert brings together ten short sparkling pieces by some of today’s top composers, all of which have been transformed in one way or another, as well as a brand new piece written especially for the occasion by Birmingham-based composer Joe Cutler.

Before and after the performances, there will be fun activities in the foyer for young people to get hands-on creating their own music and finding out more about the music featured in the concert. So please turn up early or stay afterwards and enjoy the whole BCMG Family Concerts experience.

Best suited to children aged 8-11. Performances will last around 1 hour.

Tansy Davies : Hinterland
Gerald Barry : Triorchic Blues
John Woolrich : After the Clock
Harrison Birtwistle : Ut Heremita Solus
Bryn Harrison : In Nomine after William Byrd
Thomas Ades : Les Barricades Mystérieuses
Luciano Berio : Duetti
Joe Cutler : new work (premiere – BCMG commission)
Peter Maxwell Davies : Fantasia on a Ground and Two Pavans
Thomas Ades : Cardiac Arrest