183-531: The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra ( CBSO ) is a British orchestra based in Birmingham , England. It is the resident orchestra at Symphony Hall, Birmingham in Birmingham, which has been its principal performance venue since 1991. Its administrative and rehearsal base is at the nearby CBSO Centre , where it also presents chamber concerts by members of the orchestra and guest performers. Each year,
366-522: A Eurostat measure of the functional city-region approximated to local government districts, had a population of 2,357,100 in 2004. In addition to Birmingham itself, the LUZ ( West Midlands conurbation ) includes the Metropolitan Boroughs of Dudley , Sandwell , Solihull and Walsall , along with the districts of Lichfield , Tamworth , North Warwickshire and Bromsgrove . Beyond this is
549-476: A Lord Mayoralty was conferred on Birmingham by Letters Patent on 3 June 1896. Birmingham's ten parliamentary constituencies are represented in the House of Commons as of 2024 by one Conservative , one independent and eight Labour MPs . Originally part of Warwickshire , Birmingham expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, absorbing parts of Worcestershire to the south and Staffordshire to
732-560: A conurbation with the borough of Solihull to the south east, and with the city of Wolverhampton and the industrial towns of the Black Country to the north west, which form the West Midlands Built-up Area covering 59,972 ha (600 km ; 232 sq mi). Surrounding this is Birmingham's metropolitan area – the area to which it is closely economically tied through commuting – which includes
915-410: A Section 114 notice to say that it could not meet its financial commitments. Effectively this meant the council was bankrupt. A major contributing factor is a £1.1b sum that has been paid out since 2010, for equal pay claims. There is still a bill for £760m, increasing by £14m a month. There are also problems with a new IT system that was projected to cost £19m but is now closer to £100m. In addition there
1098-503: A broader range of specialist, higher-skilled and more lucrative activities. By the time of the English Civil War Birmingham's booming economy, its expanding population, and its resulting high levels of social mobility and cultural pluralism , had seen it develop new social structures very different from those of more established areas. Relationships were built around pragmatic commercial linkages rather than
1281-578: A century of the charter Birmingham had grown into a prosperous urban centre of merchants and craftsmen. By 1327 it was the third-largest town in Warwickshire, a position it would retain for the next 200 years. The principal governing institutions of medieval Birmingham – including the Guild of the Holy Cross and the lordship of the de Birmingham family – collapsed between 1536 and 1547, leaving
1464-438: A city as having a communal interest that transcended those of its constituent social classes and other groupings. Under Dale it evolved into a more systematic and thorough philosophy, less dependent on Dawson's idiosyncratic theology. In its mature form its position was essentially that a city was a closer and more significant form of community than a nation or a religion, and thus it was a municipality, more than parliament or
1647-534: A considerable urban heat island effect. During the coldest night recorded, 14 January 1982, the temperature fell to −20.8 °C (−5.4 °F) at Birmingham Airport, but just −14.3 °C (6.3 °F) at Edgbaston, near the city centre. Birmingham is a snowy city relative to other large UK conurbations, due to its inland location and comparatively high elevation. Between 1961 and 1990 Birmingham Airport averaged 13.0 days of snow lying annually, compared to 5.33 at London Heathrow . Snow showers often pass through
1830-515: A constantly diversifying range of products, in a highly entrepreneurial economy of small, often self-owned workshops. This led to exceptional levels of inventiveness: between 1760 and 1850 – the core years of the Industrial Revolution – Birmingham residents registered over three times as many patents as those of any other British town or city. The demand for capital to feed rapid economic expansion also saw Birmingham grow into
2013-737: A converted factory, houses management offices, rehearsal facilities, and is a concert venue in its own right, for more intimate performances. The CBSO Youth Orchestra has been affiliated with the CBSO since 2004. Rattle was named music director of the CBSO in 1990. That same year, the post of Radcliffe Composer in Association was created, with Mark-Anthony Turnage filling the role. In 1995, Judith Weir became Fairbairn Composer in Association, followed in 2001 by Julian Anderson . Following Rattle's departure, Sakari Oramo became chief conductor in 1998, and music director in 1999. His CBSO work included
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#17327804328142196-462: A fee of £450 for 30 concerts, but had persuaded the committee to give him instead the combined role of conductor, secretary and manager for a fee of £1,000 per year. He had only limited experience in any of these roles, however, and developed a difficult relationship with the politicians and businessmen who made up the CBO committee. His plan to supplement the playing strength of the orchestra with members of
2379-572: A firmer financial footing. The orchestra made its first television appearance in 1954 and in 1955 visited the Netherlands on its first overseas tour. Most significant were the performances in 1955 and 1956 of the first of a series of new works commissioned for the orchestra by the John Feeney Charitable Trust – Arthur Bliss 's Meditations on a Theme by John Blow and Michael Tippett 's Piano Concerto – though reviews of
2562-512: A further concert, backwards. The music critic of the Birmingham Post was sacked in 1945 for writing that other music journalists in the city were covering up the orchestra's low standards, but by 1948 critics were writing openly of the orchestra's decline. An anti-Weldon lobby formed among Birmingham's musical establishment and unsubstantiated rumours circulated that he was conducting an affair with Gipps. George Jonas, who would later head
2745-591: A haven for Nonconformists from the 1660s. By 1700 Birmingham's population had increased fifteen-fold and the town was the fifth-largest in England and Wales. The 18th century saw this tradition of free-thinking and collaboration blossom into the cultural phenomenon now known as the Midlands Enlightenment . The town developed into a notable centre of literary , musical , artistic and theatrical activity; and its leading citizens – particularly
2928-485: A high reputation in romantic repertoire by Dvořák , Schumann and Tchaikovsky as well as twentieth century work such as Shostakovich , Walton and Britten . The distinctive sound that characterised the orchestra under Frémaux was considered less well-suited to classic Viennese repertoire such as Beethoven and Brahms . The popularity of Frémaux's concerts saw attendances at Birmingham Town Hall increase from an average of 67% in 1968–69 to 88% in 1970–71, with 45% of
3111-624: A major financial centre with extensive international connections. Lloyds Bank was founded in the town in 1765, and Ketley's Building Society , the world's first building society , in 1775. By 1800 the West Midlands had more banking offices per head than any other region in Britain, including London. Innovation in 18th-century Birmingham often took the form of incremental series of small-scale improvements to existing products or processes, but also included major developments that lay at
3294-531: A partnership with promoter Victor Hochhauser for the orchestra to perform lucrative series of mass-market concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London, but constant travelling away from Birmingham and repetitive popular repertoire began to have a negative effect on player morale. The CBSO in the 1960s and 1970s had a particular reputation for political activism and Frémaux became increasingly uneasy with
3477-529: A programme of works by her sister Lili Boulanger . Rignold updated the orchestra's repertoire, conducting 31 premieres during his tenure. The era saw Birmingham's first complete performances of works including Debussy 's Images , Ravel 's Daphnis et Chloé , Schoenberg 's Verklärte Nacht and Walton 's Violin Concerto , and a series themed around "Masterpieces of the Twentieth Century"
3660-530: A record-breaking nationwide tornado outbreak , two tornadoes touched down within the Birmingham city limits – in Erdington and Selly Oak – with six tornadoes touching down within the boundaries of the wider West Midlands county. More recently, a destructive T6/F3 tornado occurred in July 2005 in the south of the city, damaging homes and businesses in the area. The tornado took an almost parallel path to that of
3843-431: A result Panufnik's second season featured less personal conflict. At the insistence of the orchestra's management it also included four of his own compositions. In 1959, however, Panufnik decided not to renew his contract, intending to concentrate instead on composition, explaining "I have learnt one thing. It is impossible to conduct a permanent orchestra and compose at the same time." He continued to have good relations with
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#17327804328144026-543: A result of national dispute with the Musicians Union , and in 1928 upgraded the orchestra at its Birmingham station, luring sixteen of the CBO's most important players away with full-time contracts. In May 1929 the BBC went a stage further, when the retirement of its Music Director Percy Pitt saw Boult offered the role as his replacement. Boult was happy in Birmingham and had planned to stay at least another ten years, but
4209-557: A season with the CBSO even though only contracted to provide 30. Frémaux oversaw a vast improvement in the CBSO's orchestral standards, drawing from the orchestra a previously unheard-of precision and verve. Regular sectional rehearsals were brought in from 1970 and Frémaux brought a new emphasis on the recruitment of young principals, setting up a complex system of auditions and trial periods and attending over 900 auditions himself. His opening concert drew "ecstatic" reviews from London critics, and by 1970 The Guardian could write that "there
4392-585: A self-governing musical body, not a municipal orchestra along the lines of those commonly found in seaside resorts. During its early years the orchestra was sometimes referred to as the Birmingham City Orchestra, or commonly just the "City Orchestra". Thomas Beecham was considered to be the most suitable candidate for the Principal Conductor role, but he was pre-occupied with his own acute financial problems and had not forgiven
4575-505: A shared ancestor, or a mythical tribal figurehead. Place names ending in -ingahām are characteristic of primary settlements established during the early phases of Anglo-Saxon colonisation of an area, suggesting that Birmingham was probably in existence by the early 7th century at the latest. Surrounding settlements with names ending in -tūn ('farm'), -lēah ('woodland clearing'), -worð ('enclosure') and -field ('open ground') are likely to be secondary settlements created by
4758-492: A single black box later described by an official American historian as "the most valuable cargo ever brought to our shores". The city was extensively redeveloped during the 1950s and 1960s. This included the construction of large tower block estates, such as Castle Vale . The Bull Ring was reconstructed and New Street station was redeveloped. In the decades following World War II, the ethnic makeup of Birmingham changed significantly, as it received waves of immigration from
4941-463: A single rehearsal and different players often performed from concert to concert. In an attempt to provide some stability the committee introduced permanent year-round contracts for musicians from May 1944, funded by the city council's education committee in return for 50 days of educational work from the orchestra per year. Boyd Neel was initially favoured to replace Heward as Principal Conductor after 12 different applicants were given trial concerts over
5124-423: A single season is so considerable as to be remarkable." The orchestra also moved into more adventurous repertoire, for example performing Bartók 's Dance Suite less than a year after its composition, while the composer was little-known in England. The CBO's performance of Mahler 's Fourth Symphony in 1926 was only the third performance of any Mahler symphony given in Britain, and that of Das Lied von der Erde
5307-549: A tourist attraction in the early 1900s. Birmingham has a temperate maritime climate ( Cfb according to the Köppen climate classification ), like much of the British Isles, with average maximum temperatures in summer (July) being around 21.3 °C (70.3 °F); and in winter (January) around 6.7 °C (44.1 °F). Between 1971 and 2000 the warmest day of the year on average was 28.8 °C (83.8 °F) and
5490-586: A wage dispute, and in 1965 the orchestra suffered the only strike in its history after the demotion of Musician's Union steward Wilfred Pook from the first to the second violins – an affair reported in the press as "Pook's pique". Rignold however was seen as bringing stability after the turbulence of the Panufnik era and Boult's stopgap year. The last players remaining from the orchestra's first season in 1920 had retired by 1967, and Rignold proved an astute judge of musicians, introducing many excellent young players to
5673-541: Is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England . It is the second-largest city in Britain – commonly referred to as the second city of the United Kingdom – with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper . Birmingham borders the Black Country to its west and, together with the city of Wolverhampton and towns including Dudley and Solihull , forms
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5856-461: Is a major international commercial centre and an important transport, retail, events and conference hub. Its metropolitan economy is the second-largest in the United Kingdom with a GDP of $ 121.1bn (2014 ). Its five universities, including the University of Birmingham , make it the largest centre of higher education in the country outside London. Birmingham's major cultural institutions –
6039-581: Is a projected £87m deficit for the financial year 23/24. Birmingham City Council has 101 councillors representing 77 wards as of 2018. Its headquarters are at the Council House in Victoria Square . As of 2023 , the council has a Labour Party majority and is led by John Cotton. Labour replaced the previous no overall control status at the May 2012 elections. The honour and dignity of
6222-730: Is located in the centre of the West Midlands region of England on the Birmingham Plateau – an area of relatively high ground, ranging between 500 and 1,000 feet (150 and 300 metres) above sea level and crossed by Britain's main north–south watershed between the basins of the Rivers Severn and Trent . To the immediate south west of the city lie the Lickey Hills , Clent Hills and Walton Hill , which reach 1,033 feet (315 m) and have extensive views over
6405-511: Is no better British orchestra outside London". By 1972 the same newspaper was going further, writing that "under Fremaux they combine a purity of intonation which metropolitan orchestras might envy, with a fluid and spontaneous style of phrasing". The commercial success of Frémaux's CBSO recordings for EMI firmly established its reputation for French music, with recordings of Saint-Saëns ' Organ Symphony and Berlioz 's Grande Messe des morts being particularly successful. Frémaux's CBSO also had
6588-507: Is particularly a large community of Asian descent, especially from Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi backgrounds, as well as Afro-Caribbeans from the Commonwealth , and a solid Chinese presence through migrants from the former colony of Hong Kong . Birmingham also has an older Irish connection, with the city having the largest population of Irish in mainland Britain and home to its only Irish quarter, Digbeth . In Birmingham, 65.9% of
6771-539: The Manchester Guardian concluding "Manchester may well envy Birmingham its municipal music". Matthews' Symphony Series programmes were highly ambitious and enterprising, and he was able to claim that "the amount subscribed for Symphony Concerts constituted a record for any similar series of concerts in this city" but the Sunday concerts were loss-making, with the expensive seats often unsold. In 1922 Matthews
6954-800: The Anglican Diocese of Birmingham was created in 1905. There are two other cathedrals: St Chad's , seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham and the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God and St Andrew . The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Midlands is also based at Birmingham, with a cathedral under construction. The original parish church of Birmingham, St Martin in
7137-578: The BBC Symphony Orchestra in 1931. His eventual replacement, Harold Gray , had started his 55-year-long association with the orchestra as Boult's secretary and musical amanuensis in 1924, and had first conducted the orchestra in 1930 in Sutton Coldfield where he was organist at parish church. Heward was reluctant to talk to audiences and didn't enjoy performing for schoolchildren so Gray took over children's concerts in 1931 and
7320-532: The Birmingham City Police band almost caused the orchestra to strike before it had even played a concert, and resulted in questions being asked in the House of Commons in December 1920. Matthews' conducting and his management were both poorly reviewed by Birmingham-based critics, though reviews from outside the city were more positive, with The Daily Telegraph being highly complimentary and
7503-687: The Birmingham Political Union bringing the country to the brink of civil war during the Days of May that preceded the passing of the Great Reform Act in 1832. The Union's meetings on Newhall Hill in 1831 and 1832 were the largest political assemblies Britain had ever seen. Lord Durham , who drafted the Act, wrote that "the country owed Reform to Birmingham, and its salvation from revolution". This reputation for having "shaken
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7686-601: The Birmingham Post wrote that under Boult the CBSO again "sounded as good as any orchestra in the country". In early 1960 the CBSO committee were still planning for Boult's deputy Meredith Davies to succeed him as Principal Conductor, but Davies had formed an increasingly close working relationship with Benjamin Britten after taking over conducting duties at a CBSO concert of Britten's works, and in March 1960 he left
7869-486: The CBSO Chorus , established under Gordon Clinton to give the orchestra complete artistic control over its choral backing for its burgeoning recording activities. For all its triumphs, Frémaux's tenure in Birmingham was to end in chaos and acrimony. In 1969 Birmingham City Council had cancelled the CBSO's regular programme of visits to local schools for budgetary reasons. In their place, manager Arthur Baker developed
8052-473: The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra , Birmingham Royal Ballet , Birmingham Repertory Theatre , Library of Birmingham and Barber Institute of Fine Arts – enjoy international reputations, and the city has vibrant and influential grassroots art , music , literary and culinary scenes. Birmingham was the host city for the 2022 Commonwealth Games . In 2021, Birmingham was the third most visited city in
8235-521: The Commonwealth of Nations and beyond. The city's population peaked in 1951 at 1,113,000 residents. 21 people were killed and 182 were injured in a series of bomb attacks in 1974, thought to be carried out by the Provisional IRA . The bombings were the worst terror attacks in England up until the 2005 London bombings and consisted of bombs being planted in two pubs in central Birmingham. Six men were convicted , who became known later as
8418-644: The Frisch–Peierls memorandum of 1940, the same year that the cavity magnetron , the key component of radar and later of microwave ovens , was invented by John Randall and Henry Boot . Details of these two discoveries, together with an outline of the first jet engine invented by Frank Whittle in nearby Rugby , were taken to the United States by the Tizard Mission in September 1940, in
8601-606: The Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra and Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra in his native Poland before defecting to England in 1954. His first season in Birmingham was highly adventurous, featuring the British premieres of works by Ernest Bloch , Gian Francesco Malipiero and Ferenc Farkas . Many early English works for small chamber ensembles were included alongside later classical and romantic repertoire, and some concerts would start with only 13 players on
8784-587: The Liverpool , Hallé or Bournemouth orchestras it received a smaller grant from the Arts Council , until increases in 1966 finally brought the it into line. Despite the progress under Hugo Rignold , by the late 1960s the CBSO committee were beginning to look for a new conductor who could take the orchestra further, and in 1967 Rignold resigned after being offered a one-year contract extension instead of having his existing three-year deal renewed. This left
8967-613: The London Philharmonic Orchestra two years previously and was still much in demand as a guest conductor, but agreed to return to Birmingham in a move described by Michael Kennedy as "combining nostalgia and a generous rescue act". Boult's season saw him conduct the premiere of Robert Simpson 's Violin Concerto with its dedicatee Ernest Element , and a performance of Brahm's 4th symphony described by Robert Matthew-Walker as "the greatest performance of Brahms' fourth symphony I have ever heard." John Waterhouse of
9150-506: The Melos Ensemble , conducted by Meredith Davies and the composer himself. This event saw the orchestra attracting international attention for the first time since the first Boult era. The Daily Telegraph described the work as "a masterpiece of the first order", Fischer-Dieskau wept during rehearsals and at the end of the performance Harper noticed that "all around her people were in tears". The Rignold era also saw modernisation of
9333-639: The Monte Carlo Orchestra , particularly for his recordings of French music, releasing over 30 recordings and winning 8 Grand Prix du Disque . For the first three years of his appointment in Birmingham he combined his role with continuing as the founding conductor of the Orchestre Philharmonique Rhône-Alpes in Lyon , but in 1972 he resigned from Lyon to concentrate on his Birmingham activities, performing 70 concerts
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#17327804328149516-549: The Soho Manufactory , pioneering the combination and mechanisation under one roof of previously separate manufacturing activities through a system known as "rational manufacture". As the largest manufacturing unit in Europe, this came to symbolise the emergence of the factory system . Most significant, however, was the development in 1776 of the industrial steam engine by James Watt and Matthew Boulton. Freeing for
9699-571: The Theatre Royal in New Street from 1905 to 1914 with a 70-strong orchestra made up largely of Birmingham-based musicians. Appleby Matthews and Richard Wassell both ran separate orchestras in their own names presenting annual series of concerts between 1916 and 1920; and Thomas Beecham conducted and promoted his own New Birmingham Orchestra between 1917 and 1919. From 1916 onwards, a group of influential local figures began to pursue
9882-421: The University of Birmingham ; and Ernest Newman , a leading Birmingham-based music critic, who had written as early as 1913 that the system of financial guarantees from wealthy patrons that had supported Birmingham's orchestras through the 19th century had become discredited. The group's first plan was to support Beecham's New Birmingham Orchestra, but this enterprise was wound up after the government requisitioned
10065-536: The Victorian era , the population of Birmingham grew rapidly to well over half a million and Birmingham became the second largest population centre in England. Birmingham was granted city status in 1889 by Queen Victoria . Joseph Chamberlain , mayor of Birmingham and later an MP, and his son Neville Chamberlain , who was Lord Mayor of Birmingham and later the British Prime Minister, are two of
10248-460: The West Midlands conurbation . The royal town of Sutton Coldfield is incorporated within the city limits to the northeast. The wider metropolitan area has a population of 4.3 million, making it the largest outside London. Located in the West Midlands region of England, Birmingham is considered to be the social, cultural, financial and commercial centre of the Midlands . It is just west of
10431-652: The church , that had most to contribute to the health, welfare and fairness of urban society. Dawson's congregation at the Church of the Saviour included some of the most influential cultural and political leaders of Victorian Birmingham, including not only Joseph Chamberlain, but also George Dixon , J. T. Bunce , J. A. Langford , Robert Martineau , Samuel Timmins , A. F. Osler , Jesse Collings , William Kenrick , and William Harris . Between 1847 and 1867, 17 members of Dawson's congregation were elected to
10614-517: The 112-mile (180 km) London and Birmingham Railway of 1838. Birmingham schoolteacher Rowland Hill invented the postage stamp and created the first modern universal postal system in 1839. Alexander Parkes invented the first human-made plastic in the Jewellery Quarter in 1855. By the 1820s, the country's extensive canal system had been constructed, giving greater access to natural resources and fuel for industries. During
10797-454: The 1931 tornado. Notable tornadoes have also struck the city in 1923, 1946, 1951, 1998 and 1999, most of which being of T2-T4/F1-F2 intensity. There are 571 parks within Birmingham – more than any other European city – totalling over 3,500 hectares (14 sq mi) of public open space. The city has over six million trees, and 250 miles (400 kilometres) of urban brooks and streams. Sutton Park , which covers 2,400 acres (971 ha) in
10980-562: The 1960s it gave annual concert series in Coventry , Nottingham , Cheltenham , Dudley , Kidderminster and London as well as regular performances in Leeds and Bristol . It performed two seasons every year supporting Welsh National Opera , which had no orchestra of its own, it accompanied choral societies through the Midlands, and continued to provide 50 days of education work each year in Birmingham schools. Despite playing more concerts than
11163-403: The 2001, 2011, and 2021 censuses, the proportion of Christians in Birmingham decreased from 59.1% to 46.1% to 34%, while the proportion of Muslims increased from 14.3% to 21.8% to 29.9% and the proportion of people with no religious affiliation increased from 12.4% to 19.3% to 24.1%. All other religions remained proportionately similar. St Philip's Cathedral was upgraded from church status when
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#173278043281411346-528: The 2022–2023 season. Kazuki Yamada first guest-conducted the CBSO in 2012. In May 2018, the CBSO announced the appointment of Yamada as its next principal guest conductor, effective with the 2018–2019 season. In January 2021, the CBSO announced the extension of Yamada's contract as principal guest conductor with CBSO until 2023. In September 2021, the CBSO announced the appointment of Yamada as its next chief conductor and artistic advisor, effective 1 April 2023, with an initial contract of 4.5 years. In May 2024,
11529-547: The Birmingham Six and sentenced to life imprisonment, who were acquitted after 16 years by the Court of Appeal . The convictions are now considered one of the worst British miscarriages of justice in recent times. The true perpetrators of the attacks are yet to be arrested. Birmingham remained by far Britain's most prosperous provincial city as late as the 1970s, with household incomes exceeding even those of London and
11712-476: The Borough was divided into 13 wards. William Scholefield became the first Mayor and William Redfern was appointed as Town Clerk. Birmingham Town Police were established the following year. Birmingham's tradition of innovation continued into the 19th century. Birmingham was the terminus for both of the world's first two long-distance railway lines: the 82-mile (132 km) Grand Junction Railway of 1837 and
11895-729: The Bull Ring , is Grade II* listed . A short distance from Five Ways the Birmingham Oratory was completed in 1910 on the site of Cardinal Newman 's original foundation. There are several Christadelphian meeting halls in the city and the Christadelphian Magazine and Publishing Group has its headquarters in Hall Green . Civic Gospel The Civic Gospel was a philosophy of municipal activism and improvement that emerged in Birmingham , England, in
12078-525: The CBO's concerts during the period being conducted by Victor Hely-Hutchinson . On Boxing Day 1942 Heward was offered the post of Conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester , tendering his resignation with effect from the end of the season, but he did not live to see out his contract, dying at his Edgbaston home in May 1943. By 1944, the wartime orchestra numbered only 62 musicians, all of whom were part-time and most of whom were employees of local munitions factories. Weekly concerts took place after only
12261-408: The CBO's flautist remarked that he had "never known a conductor who was so much respected by his players." He was also known for his honesty and integrity, sometimes restarting a public performance he felt to be substandard halfway through, saying "I'm sorry, we can do better than that." His programming in Birmingham was bold: 28 of the 41 pieces played in his first season were Birmingham premieres, and
12444-517: The CBO's grant to £2,500 annually. Less positive was the collapse in October 1925 of the Town Hall's ceiling, leading the orchestra to move its concerts temporarily to Central Hall on Corporation Street . Expenditure on repairing the Town Hall put back prospects of the new concert hall that Boult had been promised, and the reconfiguration of the hall from one gallery to two – engineered by London-based architect Charles Allom without consulting any local musicians – created acoustic problems that would dog
12627-410: The CBSO committee approached Rudolf Schwarz to take over as the orchestra's new chief conductor, letting Weldon know that his contract would not be renewed. John Barbirolli was furious at Weldon's treatment and immediately appointed him Associate Conductor of the Hallé Orchestra , but the committee considered the move a "change to a conductor of a higher calibre" and Weldon's replacement was viewed by
12810-722: The CBSO elevated Yamada's title to music director. The CBSO's current Associate Conductor is Michael Seal . In February 2022, the CBSO announced the appointment of a cohort of six new Assistant Conductors – Bertie Baigent, Olivia Clarke, Otis Enokido-Lineham, Jack Lovell-Huckle, Charlotte Politi and Konstantinos Terzakis. The CBSO's current chief executive is Emma Stenning, as of April 2023, in succession to Stephen Maddock. The CBSO has recorded extensively for labels such as EMI Classics, Warner Classics, and Orfeo. The orchestra has also released recordings under its own self-produced label. Birmingham Birmingham ( / ˈ b ɜːr m ɪ ŋ ə m / BUR -ming-əm )
12993-482: The CBSO in the 2023 season. The Children's and Youth Chorus are led by Julian Wilkins, Associate Chorus Director. SO Vocal is conducted by Lucy Hollins. The current chief conductor and artistic adviser of the CBSO is Kazuki Yamada , effective April 2023. The earliest orchestral concerts known to have taken place in Birmingham were those organized by Barnabas Gunn at the Moor Street Theatre in 1740, and more than 20 separate orchestras are recorded as having existed in
13176-413: The CBSO numerous times since 1955 and was noted for his professionalism and technical expertise. He had particular strengths as an orchestra trainer and under him consistent signs of the orchestra's potential began to emerge for the first time since the war. Relations between the orchestra's management and players at the time was poor. The summer of 1962 saw the musicians unanimously hand in their notice in
13359-423: The CBSO over the previous year and had made no secret of his interest in the Birmingham position. Smith later commented that "Simon was still an unknown quantity to most people, but not, of course, to me. I pushed very hard to have him appointed". For the first time, the appointment of a Principal Conductor required a poll of the musicians as well as the agreement of the committee of management. On 2 July 1979, Rattle
13542-654: The CBSO performs more than 150 concerts in Birmingham, the UK and around the world. With a far-reaching community programme and a family of choruses and youth ensembles, it is involved in every aspect of music-making in the Midlands. At its centre is a team of 90 professional musicians, and over a 100-year tradition of making music, in the heart of Birmingham. The CBSO has four choirs – the CBSO Chorus , Youth Chorus , Children's Chorus and SO Vocal (our un-auditioned community choir). The CBSO Choruses are directed by Simon Halsey, Chorus Director, who celebrated his 40 year anniversary with
13725-418: The CBSO's council of management and started attending CBSO concerts in 1951, later recalled of the period: "a pretty awful sound they made, it was a poor orchestra." With attendance at CBSO concerts averaging only 60% of capacity, the Birmingham Post ran a series of articles in 1949 arguing for a new approach. By the next year, the orchestra had a deficit of £5,000. In 1951, the incoming executive chairman of
13908-403: The CBSO's operations. The orchestra undertook two major European tours in 1963 and 1968, and in 1966 made its first commercial recordings since 1948, producing its first long-playing record . 1963 saw the orchestra solvent and free of debt for the first time in over a decade, leading to an increase in permanent strength to 88. The workload of the orchestra remained extremely high though: throughout
14091-838: The CBSO's players as a forward looking one. Schwarz had a well-established career as an operatic conductor in pre-war Germany, but his role as music director of the Jewish Cultural Organisation in Berlin led to him being interned by the Nazis in Belsen , from where he was rescued in 1945. He was highly respected among musicians and had rebuilt the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra after World War II. Adrian Boult wrote to him commending Birmingham as having "the nicest people" and assuring him he would enjoy
14274-430: The CBSO's string sound. He had the support of the orchestra's younger players, but his attempts to improve the string section brought him into conflict with the orchestra leader Norris Stanley, who had played with the orchestra since its foundation in 1920 and rejected Panufnik's authority, resisting all attempts at change. Stanley was persuaded to resign in 1958 and was followed by many of the orchestra's old guard, and as
14457-406: The CBSO. In February 2016, the CBSO named her as its next music director, effective September 2016, with an initial contract of 3 years. She was the first female conductor to be named music director of the CBSO and conducted her first concert as CBSO music director on 26 August 2016. She concluded her CBSO tenure at the close of the 2021–2022 season, and took the title of principal guest conductor for
14640-534: The Civic Gospel was to transform Birmingham from the inactive and backward municipal borough that had emerged from the Municipal Reform Act of 1835 into a model of progressive, enlightened and efficient local government. Roy Hartnell writes: "It was nothing less than a bloodless revolution which had been engineered from above by the exploiting class, rather than through agitation from below by
14823-645: The Floof! festival of contemporary music. He also championed the music of John Foulds in concerts and recordings. In 2001, the players rejected a contract that would have stopped extra payments for broadcasts and recordings, in the context of financial crisis at the CBSO. In addition, other controversy arose from the CBSO's demands from the Arts Council for a greater share of the council's stabilisation fund, because of its reputation compared to other British orchestras. In 2008, Oramo stood down as music director and took
15006-564: The Rivers Tame, Rea and Cole and their tributaries. To the north and west of the fault, between 150 and 600 feet (46 and 183 metres) higher than the surrounding area and underlying much of the city centre, lies a long ridge of harder Keuper Sandstone . The bedrock underlying Birmingham was mostly laid down during the Permian and Triassic periods. The area has evidence of glacial deposits , with prominent erratic boulders becoming
15189-475: The South East, but its economic diversity and capacity for regeneration declined in the decades that followed World War II as Central Government sought to restrict the city's growth and disperse industry and population to the stagnating areas of Wales and Northern England . These measures hindered "the natural self-regeneration of businesses in Birmingham, leaving it top-heavy with the old and infirm", and
15372-565: The Town Council, of whom 6 were elected mayor. The philosophy encompassed not only practical measures such as slum clearance and improvements in sanitation, but also the provision of cultural facilities such as libraries and a museum and art gallery : for 31 of the first 33 years of its existence the Birmingham Free Libraries Committee had as its chairman a member of Dawson's congregation. The effect of
15555-492: The Town Hall for the issue of First World War ration books, depriving it of its primary concert venue. A few weeks after the end of the war Bantock revived the idea and on 17 March 1919 he submitted a proposal to Birmingham City Council for an orchestra of 70 musicians to be engaged annually from October to May, at an estimated annual cost of £8,500 and with projected annual revenue of £6,000. The city council agreed to support
15738-462: The Town Hall, inaugurated lectures about forthcoming music on the Thursdays before symphony concerts, invited students from the University of Birmingham to attend open rehearsals, and introduced free concerts for children during school hours. The orchestra made its first commercial recording in 1925. A more unusual experiment took place later the same year, when Saint-Saëns ' Second Piano Concerto
15921-588: The UK by people from foreign nations. The name Birmingham comes from the Old English Beormingahām , meaning the home or settlement of the Beormingas – a tribe or clan whose name means 'Beorma's people' and which may have formed an early unit of Anglo-Saxon administration. Beorma , after whom the tribe was named, could have been its leader at the time of the Anglo-Saxon settlement,
16104-556: The Wake Green football club; Bartley and Frankley reservoirs; and Handsworth cemetery with surrounding golf courses. Birmingham has many areas of wildlife that lie in both informal settings such as the Project Kingfisher and Woodgate Valley Country Park and in a selection of parks such as Lickey Hills Country Park , Pype Hayes Park & Newhall Valley, Handsworth Park , Kings Heath Park , and Cannon Hill Park ,
16287-628: The Welsh capital Cardiff , 45 miles (72 km) south-west of Nottingham , 70 miles (110 km) south of Manchester , and 75 miles (121 km) north-north-east of Bristol . Much of the area now occupied by the city was originally a northern reach of the ancient Forest of Arden and the city remains relatively densely covered by oak in a large number of districts such as Moseley , Saltley , Yardley , Stirchley and Hockley . These places, with names ending in "-ley", deriving from Old English - lēah meaning "woodland clearing", are named after
16470-422: The achievements of the previous 15 years and by the late 1930s the CBO was playing to a standard comparable to the orchestras of major cities of continental Europe. By 1939, the CBO's finances were looking sound and its future bright. The outbreak of World War II , however, saw the BBC disband its Midland Orchestra and lay off its musicians, many of whom were also leading players with the CBO. Birmingham Town Hall
16653-499: The age of 25 and the median age being 34 years of age, below the national average of 40. Religion in Birmingham (2021) Christianity is the largest religion within Birmingham, with 34% of residents identifying as Christians in the 2021 Census . The city's religious profile is highly diverse: outside London, Birmingham has the United Kingdom's largest Muslim , Sikh and Buddhist communities; its second largest Hindu community; and its seventh largest Jewish community. Between
16836-412: The age of 25, and worked for a period as chief conductor of Sergei Diaghilev 's Ballets Russes . The urbane, Oxford-educated Boult was also comfortable dealing with influential local citizens, ensuring the orchestra retained the financial support it needed to continue. His tenure at the CBO would mark the start of a "golden period" for the orchestra that would see it rise to national prominence, outshining
17019-602: The amount of internal unrest. Matters were made worse when Frémaux appointed Baker as his personal agent alongside his role as orchestral manager: the players began to feel that Baker was prioritising Frémaux's interests over the orchestra's artistic development and started compiling a dossier of supporting evidence. A humiliating climbdown in a dispute with the players over the seating of a freelance viola player in February 1978 led Frémaux to decide that he would not renew his contract, later complaining that "The union wanted to manage
17202-639: The area during the Bronze Age , when a substantial but short-lived influx of population occurred between 1700 BC and 1000 BC, possibly caused by conflict or immigration in the surrounding area. During the 1st-century Roman conquest of Britain , the forested country of the Birmingham Plateau formed a barrier to the advancing Roman legions, who built the large Metchley Fort in the area of modern-day Edgbaston in AD ;48, and made it
17385-415: The audience aged under 25. In response, plans were drawn up by the architect John Madin in 1970 for a new concert hall to be built on the site of Bingley Hall just off Broad Street , and when this scheme was halted by a financial crisis at the city council it was replaced by a proposal from local television station ATV for a multi-purpose exhibition and concert hall as part of its new studio centre. This
17568-470: The band room at the Birmingham City Police 's Steelhouse Lane station. The CBO's first concert was given under Matthews' baton as part of the Sunday series at the Theatre Royal on 5 September 1920, with the first piece of music performed being Granville Bantock 's Saul . After two months of preparing the orchestra with the popular concerts, the inaugural concert of the Symphony Concerts series
17751-470: The borough are designated as green belt , as a portion of the wider West Midlands Green Belt. This is a strategic local government policy used to prevent urban sprawl and preserve greenfield land . Areas included are the aforementioned Sutton Park; land along the borough boundary by the Sutton Coldfield, Walmley and Minworth suburbs; Kingfisher, Sheldon, Woodgate Valley country parks; grounds by
17934-475: The city became increasingly dependent on the motor industry . The recession of the early 1980s saw Birmingham's economy collapse, with unprecedented levels of unemployment and outbreaks of social unrest in inner-city districts. Since the turn of the 21st century, many parts of Birmingham have been transformed, with the redevelopment of the Bullring Shopping Centre , the construction of
18117-437: The city between that date and the foundation of what is now the CBSO in 1920. These orchestras often owed their origins to Birmingham's internationally significant tradition of choral music , that give birth to works such as Mendelsohn 's Elijah and Elgar 's Dream of Gerontius , and in 1834 saw the building Birmingham Town Hall , one of Europe's earliest large-scale concert halls. Birmingham's most notable early orchestra
18300-642: The city centre . The city does however have numerous canals , collectively named the Birmingham Canal Navigations . Historically a market town in Warwickshire in the medieval period, Birmingham grew during the 18th century during the Midlands Enlightenment and during the Industrial Revolution , which saw advances in science, technology and economic development, producing a series of innovations that laid many of
18483-420: The city for its failure to support his earlier New Birmingham Orchestra . As a result, a shortlist of four candidates was drawn up from the numerous applications for the post, though the initial one-year contract came to limit the choice to local applicants. The eventual appointee was Appleby Matthews , who had been running his own orchestra in the city since 1916 and had strong support from local music critics on
18666-575: The city via the Cheshire gap on north westerly airstreams, but can also come off the North Sea from north easterly airstreams. Extreme weather is rare, but the city has been known to experience tornadoes . On 14 June 1931, an extremely damaging T6/F3 tornado struck the city, carving an 11-mile damage path through Hollywood, Hall Green, Sparkbrook, Tyseley, Greet and Small Heath, causing extensive damage and killing 1 woman. On 23 November 1981, during
18849-540: The city's manufacturing workforce, alongside annual seasons in Wolverhampton , Nottingham and Sheffield . In January 1948 the orchestra was officially renamed the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra at Weldon's personal request. Weldon's success in rebuilding the orchestra after the ravages of war was limited, however: he recruited over 40 new musicians during his tenure but by 1951 had only succeeded in increasing
19032-440: The city, with Schwarz later concluding "He was absolutely right! I found that Birmingham was alive – a city with people who work." From the start, Schwarz's programming was radically different to Weldon's, reflecting a Central European repertoire alongside many unfamiliar British works. He reserved an entire day per week for rehearsals, which, despite resistance from conservative orchestral players, quickly began to bear fruit, and
19215-586: The city. Birmingham is drained only by minor rivers and brooks, primarily the River Tame and its tributaries the Cole and the Rea . Birmingham is located significantly inland, and its nearest body of sea is at Liverpool Bay . It lies at the same latitude as Lowestoft , Britain's easternmost settlement; it is therefore much more proximate to the western coast of Wales, at Cardigan Bay . The City of Birmingham forms
19398-557: The coldest night typically fell to −9.0 °C (15.8 °F). Some 11.2 days each year rose to a temperature of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or above and 51.6 nights reported an air frost. The highest recorded temperature recorded at the Edgbaston Campus was 37.4 °C (99.3 °F), whilst a temperature of 37.0 °C (98.6 °F) was recorded at Birmingham Airport on the city's eastern edge, both recorded on 19 July 2022 . Like most other large cities, Birmingham has
19581-666: The conductor of the Birmingham Festival Choral Society – possibly calculating that there might shortly be a vacancy with the City Orchestra – and in March 1924 he was announced in the press as the CBO's new Director and Conductor. At the age of 35 he already had a substantial international musical reputation, having studied at the Leipzig Conservatory under Arthur Nikisch , conducted the world premier of Holst 's The Planets at
19764-479: The creation of a planned market town and seigneurial borough within his demesne or manorial estate, around the site that became the Bull Ring . This established Birmingham as the primary commercial centre for the Birmingham Plateau at a time when the area's economy was expanding rapidly, with population growth nationally leading to the clearance, cultivation and settlement of previously marginal land. Within
19947-463: The exchange of knowledge between pure science and the practical world of manufacturing and technology. This created a "chain reaction of innovation", forming a pivotal link between the earlier Scientific Revolution and the Industrial Revolution that would follow. Birmingham's explosive industrial expansion started earlier than that of the textile-manufacturing towns of the North of England , and
20130-491: The exploited class." By 1890, a visiting American journalist could describe Birmingham as "the best-governed city in the world". It is not only in matters of sanitation that this "Municipal Socialism" is progressing. Nearly half the consumers of the Kingdom already consume gas made by themselves as citizens collectively, in 168 different localities, as many as 14 local authorities obtained the power to borrow money to engage in
20313-499: The extent that they were invited to England perform at the Empire Exhibition in 1925. Despite this, his appointment was a gamble for the CBO committee, as he was still largely unknown to English audiences. Heward soon gained the respect of the orchestra's players and the Birmingham audience for his formidable musicianship. His score-reading ability was exceptional and he was able to instantly diagnose problems in rehearsal –
20496-626: The fabric of privilege to its base" in 1832 led John Bright to make Birmingham the platform for his successful campaign for the Second Reform Act of 1867, which extended voting rights to the urban working class. The original Charter of Incorporation , dated 31 October 1838, was received in Birmingham on 1 November, then read in the Town Hall on 5 November with elections for the first Birmingham Town Council being held on 26 December. Sixteen Aldermen and 48 Councillors were elected and
20679-399: The final quarter of the 20th century. The Watt steam engine was invented in Birmingham. The resulting high level of social mobility also fostered a culture of political radicalism which, under leaders from Thomas Attwood to Joseph Chamberlain , was to give it a political influence unparalleled in Britain outside London and a pivotal role in the development of British democracy. From
20862-458: The first importance" in the development of the mechanised cotton industry . In 1741 they opened the world's first cotton mill in Birmingham's Upper Priory. In 1746 John Roebuck invented the lead chamber process , enabling the large-scale manufacture of sulphuric acid , and in 1780 James Keir developed a process for the bulk manufacture of alkali , together marking the birth of the modern chemical industry . In 1765 Matthew Boulton opened
21045-426: The first time the manufacturing capacity of human society from the limited availability of hand, water and animal power, this was arguably the pivotal moment of the entire Industrial Revolution and a key factor in the worldwide increases in productivity over the following century. Birmingham rose to national political prominence in the campaign for political reform in the early 19th century, with Thomas Attwood and
21228-647: The focus of a network of Roman roads . Birmingham was then later established by the Beormingas around the 6th or 7th century as a small settlement in the then heavily forested Arden region in Mercia . The development of Birmingham into a significant urban and commercial centre began in 1166, when the Lord of the Manor Peter de Bermingham obtained a charter to hold a market at his castle , and followed this with
21411-405: The following season. Press speculation about a successor centred on Hugo Rignold , but it was George Hurst and Andrzej Panufnik who were given trial concerts the following December, and Panufnik who was subsequently appointed after a performance described in the CBSO's official history as "sensationally successful". Panufnik was best known as a composer, but had built a career as a conductor with
21594-535: The former forest. Birmingham is dominated by the Birmingham Fault, which runs diagonally through the city from the Lickey Hills in the south west, passing through Edgbaston and the Bull Ring, to Erdington and Sutton Coldfield in the north east. To the south and east of the fault the ground is largely softer Mercia Mudstone , interspersed with beds of Bunter pebbles and crossed by the valleys of
21777-399: The foundations of modern industrial society . By 1791, it was being hailed as "the first manufacturing town in the world". Birmingham's distinctive economic profile, with thousands of small workshops practising a wide variety of specialised and highly skilled trades, encouraged exceptional levels of creativity and innovation; this provided an economic base for prosperity that was to last into
21960-550: The heart of the emergence of industrial society . In 1709 the Birmingham-trained Abraham Darby I moved to Coalbrookdale in Shropshire and built the first blast furnace to successfully smelt iron ore with coke , transforming the quality, volume and scale on which it was possible to produce cast iron . In 1732 Lewis Paul and John Wyatt invented roller spinning , the "one novel idea of
22143-509: The idea of a single, permanent, municipally funded orchestra, in keeping with the Civic Gospel tradition established in Birmingham under Joseph Chamberlain , that envisaged cities as having responsibility as a body for their citizens' civic, social and cultural welfare. Leading members of this campaign included Neville Chamberlain , who was Lord Mayor of Birmingham from 1916 to 1918; Granville Bantock , composer and Professor of Music at
22326-500: The industry's products. By the 1600s Birmingham formed the commercial hub of a network of forges and furnaces stretching from South Wales to Cheshire and its merchants were selling finished manufactured goods as far afield as the West Indies . These trading links gave Birmingham's metalworkers access to much wider markets, allowing them to diversify away from lower-skilled trades producing basic goods for local sale, towards
22509-465: The late 19th century supported a substantial pool of high quality locally based professional musicians. Between 1905 and 1920 this demand was met by a number of competing enterprises. Halford's players reformed in 1906 as the self-governing Birmingham Symphony Orchestra , which continued to perform until 1918 under notable conductors including Henry Wood , Hans Richter and Halford himself. Landon Ronald presented an annual season of promenade concerts at
22692-476: The later expansion of the Anglo-Saxon population, in some cases possibly on earlier British sites. There is evidence of early human activity in the Birmingham area dating back to around 8000 BC, with Stone Age artefacts suggesting seasonal settlements, overnight hunting parties and woodland activities such as tree felling. The many burnt mounds that can still be seen around the city indicate that modern humans first intensively settled and cultivated
22875-538: The latter also housing the mini zoo, Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park . The 2021 census recorded 1,144,900 people living in Birmingham, an increase of around 6.7% from 2011 when 1,073,045 were recorded. It is the 27th largest city in Europe by population within its city boundary. Birmingham's continuous urban area extends beyond the city's boundaries: the Birmingham Larger Urban Zone ,
23058-438: The length of the break by initiating performances at public schools throughout the Midlands. and building up the orchestra's diary of out-of-town concerts. The immediate impact of Boult's arrival was conveyed by the Birmingham Post reviewing his first season: "The strongest impression is of a very great gain in note accuracy, a much improved ensemble, and a high standard of playing from the string group. The advance made within
23241-472: The members of the Lunar Society of Birmingham – became influential participants in the circulation of philosophical and scientific ideas among Europe's intellectual elite. The close relationship between Enlightenment Birmingham's leading thinkers and its major manufacturers – in men like Matthew Boulton and James Keir they were often in fact the same people – made it particularly important for
23424-409: The mid-19th century. Tracing its origins to the teaching of independent nonconformist preacher George Dawson , who declared that "a town is a solemn organism through which shall flow, and in which shall be shaped, all the highest, loftiest and truest ends of man's moral nature", it reached its culmination in the mayoralty of Joseph Chamberlain between 1873 and 1876. After Dawson's death in 1876 it
23607-425: The most well-known political figures who have lived in Birmingham. The city established its own university in 1900. The city suffered heavy bomb damage during World War II 's " Birmingham Blitz ". The city was also the scene of two scientific discoveries that were to prove critical to the outcome of the war. Otto Frisch and Rudolf Peierls first described how a practical nuclear weapon could be constructed in
23790-518: The nationally broadcast premiere of the second still brought criticism from the Musical Times for the orchestra's "shaky playing". Schwarz himself later recalled of his period in charge of the CBSO: "the orchestra did gradually improve, but some of the playing was still not ideal". In September 1956 Schwarz announced that he would be leaving the CBSO for the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the end of
23973-618: The new Library of Birmingham (the largest public library in Europe) and the regeneration of old industrial areas such as Brindleyplace , The Mailbox and the International Convention Centre , as well as the rationalisation of the Inner Ring Road . In 1998 Birmingham hosted the 24th G8 summit . The city successfully hosted the 2022 Commonwealth Games . On 5 September 2023 Birmingham city council issued
24156-612: The north and west. The city absorbed Sutton Coldfield in 1974 and became a metropolitan borough in the new West Midlands county . A top-level government body, the West Midlands Combined Authority , was formed in April 2016. The WMCA holds devolved powers in transport, development planning, and economic growth. The authority is governed by a directly elected mayor , similar to the Mayor of London . Birmingham
24339-544: The north of the city, is the largest urban park in Europe and a national nature reserve . Birmingham Botanical Gardens , located close to the city centre, retains the regency landscape of its original design by J. C. Loudon in 1829, while the Winterbourne Botanic Garden in Edgbaston reflects the more informal Arts and Crafts tastes of its Edwardian origins. Several green spaces within
24522-591: The orchestra and improving professionalism and discipline. He demanded high standards and audiences experienced noticeable improvements. By 1963 the orchestra was seeing much improved reviews in the London press. The growing prestige of the CBSO made it easier to attract international artists: soloists at CBSO concerts included Wilhelm Kempff , Clifford Curzon , Ida Haendel , Paul Tortelier , Isaac Stern and Mstislav Rostropovich ; and notable guest conductors included Antal Doráti , Jascha Horenstein , Rudolf Kempe , Ferdinand Leitner and Nadia Boulanger , who conducted
24705-419: The orchestra and premiered his Piano Concerto with the CBSO in 1962. Panufnik's unexpectedly early departure created problems for the CBSO's management, who had intended for him ultimately to be succeeded by Meredith Davies , who had been appointed in 1957 from over 150 applicants as the orchestra's second Associate Conductor alongside Harold Gray . Although Davies was offered the Principal Conductor role and
24888-556: The orchestra became particularly known for its interpretations of Dvorak , Sibelius and modern British composers. The orchestra under Heward also began to attract front-rank soloists: Arthur de Greef and Nikolai Orlov performed in 1931; Artur Schnabel played Beethoven 's Fourth Piano Concerto in 1933; Ernst Wolff , Arthur Catterall , Egon Petri , Frederic Lamond performed in 1934; Adolf Busch and Solomon in 1936; and in 1938 Béla Bartók played one of his own Piano Concertos. Assistant conductor Joseph Lewis followed Boult to
25071-488: The orchestra began to attract front-rank soloists again. However, fewer concerts, more rehearsal time and falling attendance led to a worsening financial crisis with a deficit of £20,000 in 1952, and for a period it was suggested the CBSO should merge with the Bournemouth orchestra, performing in Birmingham during the winter and Bournemouth in the summer. When this proposal collapsed, the committee planned instead to reduce
25254-478: The orchestra extended Nelsons' contract for another 3 years, through the 2013–2014 season. In August 2012, the CBSO announced the further extension of Nelsons' contract formally through the 2014–2015 season, and then for subsequent seasons on the basis of an annual rolling renewal. In October 2013, the CBSO announced the conclusion of Nelsons' tenure as music director after the conclusion of the 2014–2015 season. In July 2015, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla first guest-conducted
25437-420: The orchestra increased its recording profile and became one of the leading ensembles in Europe, and gained a name for its interpretations of late romantic and 20th century works, especially those of Sibelius and Gustav Mahler . During this period, the orchestra moved from Birmingham Town Hall to a new home venue, Symphony Hall , inside Birmingham's International Convention Centre . The nearby CBSO Centre ,
25620-434: The orchestra to a six-month operation, until the incoming Labour council agreed to write off the accumulated deficit in May 1952 with an interest-free loan. At this time the CBSO was by far the smallest of Britain's regional orchestras, but an increase in private donations allowed it to expand the playing staff in 1953, and an administrative reorganisation and further increase in support from the city council began to place it on
25803-590: The orchestra to work with Britten's English Opera Group . Two months later Hugo Rignold was announced as the CBSO's new Principal Conductor. Rignold had established his reputation as one of the country's leading conductors during six years at the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra , subsequently serving as music director of the Royal Ballet and guest conducting with major orchestras across Britain, Europe and America. He had conducted
25986-438: The orchestra until its move to Symphony Hall six decades later: the Birmingham Post wrote that "everything sounded strange" and complained of acoustic dead spots in the ground floor and lower gallery. One aspect of Boult's time at the CBO was the development of an important relationship with the recently established BBC . The CBO's concert at Birmingham Town Hall on 7 October 1924 was the first orchestral concert anywhere in
26169-444: The orchestra were also established during this first year: performances of then-recent works by Holst, Vaughan Williams and Bax saw a strong representation of new music in the orchestra's programmes; and from February 1921 the orchestra's commitment to musical education was underlined with a series of concerts for city schoolchildren held in the Town Hall on Saturday afternoons. Matthews had originally been appointed to be conductor with
26352-485: The orchestra without a principal conductor for the 1968–1969 season, but also left it free to give trials to potential replacements. Norman Del Mar and Walter Susskind both gave successful concerts, but the strong favourite throughout the process was the conductor of the first concert, the Frenchman Louis Frémaux , whose appointment was announced from autumn 1969. Frémaux had made his reputation with
26535-552: The orchestra's management committees was reformed, with two elected players' representatives on the main decision-making body to improve communications between musicians and management. Baker's role as General Manager was taken by Ed Smith, who came from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra , where he had worked closely for many years with the conductor of the youth orchestra, Simon Rattle . Rattle had performed four well-received concerts with
26718-402: The orchestra's oboist Ruth Gipps , and September 1946 brought Samuel Barber to Birmingham to conduct his own First Symphony , but Weldon repeated popular works multiple times, often twice or more within the same season. In 1946 Eric Blom criticised the orchestra for over-performance of Vaughan Williams ' Fantasia on " Greensleeves '' , with the orchestra responding by performing the work in
26901-515: The orchestra. Some of them wanted a revolution." The next month, however, a vote of no confidence from the players in Baker led to his resignation, with Frémaux himself also resigning out of personal loyalty. The players stressed that Frémaux retained their support, but he never conducted the orchestra again Although the loss of the orchestra's Manager and music director in a single week was a crisis in
27084-642: The palm". Heward had studied conducting under Boult at the Royal College of Music , where Hubert Parry had described him as "the kind of phenomenon that appears once in a generation". He came to Birmingham from a highly successful period as music director of the South African Broadcasting Corporation and Conductor of the Cape Town Orchestra , where he had raised the standards of the orchestra's playing to
27267-408: The platform. Panufnik's arrival in Birmingham coincided with conflict between the orchestra and management after 16 violinists were asked to re-audition for their places, and a strike was only averted by a management climb down. Although he later claimed that he "found the orchestra of a high standard", Panufnik's experience of working with some of Europe's leading orchestras left him dissatisfied with
27450-470: The playing strength to 73. Year-round contracts demanded a heavy workload – during the 1945–46 season the orchestra played 260 concerts as well as undertaking educational work in the city's schools – meaning that most concerts were rehearsed only on the day of a performance. Audiences were also unpredictable, and Weldon was criticised for programming too much lightweight repertoire. The era saw some performances of new compositions including major works composed by
27633-420: The population were aged between 15 and 64, higher than when compared to the national average of 64.1% in England and Wales. Furthermore, 20.9% of the population were aged under 15, higher than the national average of 17.4% while the population aged over 65 was 13.1%, which was lower than the national average of 18.6% respectively. Birmingham is one of the youngest cities in Europe with 40% of its population below
27816-537: The population were born outside the UK, an increase of 4.5% percentage points from 2011. Figures showed that the five largest foreign-born groups living in Birmingham were born in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Romania and Jamaica. In 2011, 57% of primary and 52% of secondary pupils were from non-White British families. As of 2021, 31.6% of school pupils in Birmingham were White , 37.7% were Asian , 12.6% were Black , 9.7% were Mixed race and 8.4% were Other. There
27999-474: The proposal with an annual grant of £1,250 for an experimental period of five years, the first time that public funds had been used to support an orchestra anywhere in Great Britain. The new orchestra's management committee met for the first time on 19 June 1919 and named itself the City of Birmingham Orchestra or CBO, probably to emphasise its civic status, though it also made clear that the CBO would be
28182-550: The redundant musicians being auditioned by the CBO – in return for the CBO performing 13 studio concerts each season: an important step towards permanent year-round contracts for the CBO's players. In 1934 Percy Edgar and Victor Hely-Hutchinson agreed to establish the BBC Midland Orchestra playing 2–3 concerts a week, with Heward as conductor and 35 of its musicians shared with the CBO on 12-month contracts. The stability this brought meant that Heward could build on
28365-451: The rigid paternalism and deference of feudal society , and loyalties to the traditional hierarchies of the established church and aristocracy were weak. The town's reputation for political radicalism and its strongly Parliamentarian sympathies saw it attacked by Royalist forces in the Battle of Birmingham in 1643, and it developed into a centre of Puritanism in the 1630s and as
28548-458: The selection panel. Richard Wassell was appointed as Assistant Conductor. Matthews' plan was to hold eight Saturday concerts and six Wednesday concerts each year at Birmingham Town Hall , with a series of 38 concerts of more popular programmes at cheaper venues on Sundays, continuing the tradition of Sunday popular classics established by his own orchestra over the previous five years. The orchestra first rehearsed at 9.30am on 4 September 1920, in
28731-458: The short term, it resulted in a series of longer term changes that would have more positive effects. The Swiss avant-garde composer and conductor Erich Schmid was found at short notice to take over Fremaux's immediate conducting commitments, including a Beethoven festival due to take place less than two months later. The resulting artistic triumph saw him appointed as the orchestra's first Principal Guest Conductor in September 1979. The structure of
28914-423: The struggling London orchestras and establishing Boult himself as a major figure of British musical life. Boult brought a wider vision for the orchestra's future, building on Matthews' foundations but expanding beyond them. Some of the leading conductors in Europe were brought in to guest conduct, including Bruno Walter , Pierre Monteux , Ernest Ansermet and Ernő Dohnányi . Boult introduced lunchtime concerts at
29097-534: The summer of 1940 to the spring of 1943, Birmingham was bombed heavily by the German Luftwaffe in what is known as the Birmingham Blitz . The damage done to the city's infrastructure, in addition to a deliberate policy of demolition and new building by planners, led to extensive urban regeneration in subsequent decades. Birmingham's economy is now dominated by the service sector . The city
29280-601: The summer of 1943, but the orchestra eventually announced the appointment on a one-year contract of George Weldon , the conductor of the City of Birmingham Choir . Weldon was flamboyant and charismatic with a love of fast cars and he cut a glamorous figure on the podium. Initial critical and public reaction was very positive and in June 1944 he was confirmed as music director. He broadened the orchestra's reach by introducing modestly-priced summer seasons of promenade concerts from 1945, and from 1950 introduced industrial concerts aimed at
29463-402: The title of principal guest conductor for the 2008–2009 season. In October 2007, the CBSO named Andris Nelsons as its next music director, effective with the 2008–2009 season. Nelsons' initial contract was for 3 years. The appointment was unusual in that Nelsons had not conducted the CBSO publicly prior to his appointment, but only in a private concert and in a recording session. In July 2009,
29646-607: The town of Tamworth and the city of Lichfield in Staffordshire to the north; the city of Coventry and the towns of Nuneaton , Bedworth , Whitnash , Kenilworth , Rugby, Atherstone , Coleshill , Warwick and Leamington Spa to the east in Warwickshire and the Worcestershire towns of Redditch and Bromsgrove to the south west. As the crow flies, Birmingham lies approximately 100 miles (160 km) north-west of London , 85 miles (137 km) north-east of
29829-430: The town with an unusually high degree of social and economic freedom and initiating a period of transition and growth. The importance of the manufacture of iron goods to Birmingham's economy was recognised as early as 1538, and grew rapidly as the century progressed. Equally significant was the town's emerging role as a centre for the iron merchants who organised finance, supplied raw materials and traded and marketed
30012-585: The traditional centre point of England at Meriden , and is the most inland major city in the country, and lying north of the Cotswolds and east of the Shropshire Hills . Distinctively, Birmingham only has small rivers flowing through it, mainly the River Tame and its tributaries River Rea and River Cole – one of the closest main rivers is the Severn , approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of
30195-525: The war. Compounding the difficulties was Heward's illness. He had contracted tuberculosis during his period in South Africa and was already missing concerts with illness by 1934. Aggravated by overwork, smoking and heavy drinking, his condition deteriorated and he spent six months in a sanatorium from September 1939 to May 1940. He gave his first performance for over a year on 20 October 1940, but regularly had to cancel engagements after that, with most of
30378-817: The wider metropolitan area with a population numbering 3,558,916 in 2019 according to Eurostat. Around 305,688 or 26.7% of the population in 2021 were foreign-born , making it a city with one of the largest migrant populations in Europe . According to figures from the 2021 census, 48.7% of the population was White (42.9% White British , 1.5% White Irish , 4.0% Other White , 0.2% Roma , 0.1% Irish Traveller ), 31% were Asian (17.0% Pakistani , 5.8% Indian , 4.2% Bangladeshi , 1.1% Chinese , 2.9% Other Asian ), 10.9% were Black (5.8% African , 3.9% Caribbean , 1.2% Other Black ), 4.8% of Mixed race (2.2% White and Black Caribbean, 0.4% White and Black African, 1.1% White and Asian, 1.1% Other Mixed), 1.7% Arab and 4.6% of Other ethnic heritage. The 2021 census showed 26.7% of
30561-413: The world to be transmitted as an outside broadcast , and in 1924 and early 1925 the CBO was used to perform four "International Symphony Concerts" at Covent Garden in London, supplementing the BBC's own "Wireless Players" to form the "Wireless Symphony Orchestra", the forerunner of the BBC Symphony Orchestra . In 1927 the relationship became more problematic as the BBC stopped broadcasting CBO concerts as
30744-410: Was William Stockley's Orchestra , which was founded in 1856 and held annual concert seasons between 1873 and 1897. This was eclipsed as the city's leading orchestra at the end of the 19th century by George Halford's Orchestra , which put on similar series of concerts between 1897 and 1909. Stockley and Halford established regular orchestral concerts as an expected feature of life in Birmingham which by
30927-466: Was announced as the orchestra's "Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor". The Birmingham Post wrote of Frémaux that "whatever the circumstances of his going, he was the man who raised the CBSO to the highest point of prestige in its history to date", while Rattle stated that he had inherited "possibly the best French orchestra in the world." The CBSO began to gain greater international renown after Simon Rattle became chief conductor in 1980. Under him,
31110-429: Was appointed Deputy Conductor in 1932. The Symphony concerts under Heward drew excellent attendances, but audiences continued to drop for concerts of popular classics as competition from radio and the cinema for leisure time activity increased. Relief from the resulting financial pressure came through a series of arrangements with the BBC. In 1930 the broadcaster agreed to reduce its Birmingham orchestra to an octet – with
31293-505: Was commandeered for the war effort and the CBO cancelled all of its engagements, giving Heward six months notice of termination. Although the orchestra started performing again at the Birmingham and Midland Institute in October as the "City of Birmingham (Emergency) Orchestra" and was able to reinstate Heward on a series of temporary contracts,it had lost many of its prewar players, and would be composed only of part-time musicians for much of
31476-402: Was considered to have the confidence of the players, he felt he was still unprepared for the position and suggested that "an eminent conductor" be appointed for the 1959–1960 season with the intention that Davies would take over the following year. Davies was therefore appointed as Deputy Music Director, and Adrian Boult returned for one year. Boult had given up the role of principal conductor of
31659-418: Was driven by different factors. Instead of the economies of scale of a low-paid, unskilled workforce producing a single bulk commodity such as cotton or wool in large, mechanised units of production, Birmingham's industrial development was built on the adaptability and creativity of a highly paid workforce with a strong division of labour , practising a broad variety of skilled specialist trades and producing
31842-546: Was encouraged to accept the BBC role by Henry Wood . He resisted John Reith 's pressure to take up the BBC post immediately and agreed instead to perform a further final season with the CBO. He later said he regretted leaving Birmingham, which provided the only time in his career he was able to fully control his own programmes. Four conductors were shortlisted to succeed Boult and were given trial concerts – Leslie Heward , Stanley Chapple , Julius Harrison and Basil Cameron – but Boult later described how "Heward very easily won
32025-615: Was given at the Town Hall on 10 November 1920, with Edward Elgar conducting a concert of his own works, including his Cello Concerto with Felix Salmond as the soloist. The first season continued with a remarkable series of programmes, including Ralph Vaughan Williams conducting his own London Symphony , Hamilton Harty conducting Berlioz 's Symphonie fantastique , Adrian Boult conducting Rachmaninov 's Second Symphony , Landon Ronald conducting Brahms ' Second Symphony and Jean Sibelius conducting his own Third Symphony . Two features that would become longstanding traditions for
32208-491: Was held in 1966 and 1967. Like Leslie Heward and Rudolf Schwarz before him, Rignold was particularly committed to the music of Sibelius , giving a complete cycle of his symphonies in 1966. The most significant premiere of the period, indeed of the CBSO's entire history, saw the orchestra play the first performance of Benjamin Britten 's War Requiem at the dedication of Coventry Cathedral in 1962, accompanied by Peter Pears , Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau , Heather Harper and
32391-410: Was on 30 March 1924, and the relationship dissolved in acrimonious and expensive litigation. The CBO committee had two candidates in mind to replace Matthews: Eugene Goossens and Adrian Boult . For a while the committee explored the possibility of appointing both as joint conductors, but were convinced by Ernest de Sélincourt that this idea was unworkable. Boult had recently replaced Henry Wood as
32574-589: Was only the second time it had been performed in England. Both were followed shortly afterwards by performances by orchestras in London and marked the start of the gradual increase in interest in Mahler's work in Britain. By 1926, the orchestra's finances had improved, helped by the City Council's decision in 1924 to allow Birmingham Town Hall to be used rent-free for the Symphony concerts and in 1925 to double
32757-570: Was performed at the Town Hall with Harold Bauer as soloist, but with his part played not with him present but as a pre-recorded piano roll . A particular concern of Boult's was to reduce the effect of the summer break when, as with London's Queen's Hall Orchestra and Manchester's Hallé Orchestra , the CBO's musicians spent the summer working at seaside resorts and often picked up bad habits freelancing for pier orchestras. The committee felt unable at that time to meet Boult's desire to offer players permanent year-round contracts, but Boult tried to lessen
32940-415: Was relieved of any involvement in the financial administration of the orchestra, popular concerts were increasingly moved to suburban and out-of-town venues, and development and marketing plans were drawn up to stem a deficit which by May 1923 grown to £3,000. In July the orchestra and Matthews both engaged solicitors and in October Matthews was informed his contract was to be terminated, His final CBO concert
33123-475: Was the Birmingham Festival Orchestra , which formed as a group of 25 musicians in 1768 but by 1834 had grown into an orchestra of 147. Under Michael Costa and Hans Richter between 1849 and 1909 it included some of the leading instrumentalists of its day from across Britain and Europe, but remained an ad hoc grouping that assembled to play only at the three-yearly festivals. The town's first permanently established orchestra of locally based professional musicians
33306-411: Was the Congregationalist pastor R. W. Dale who took on the role as the movement's leading nonconformist spokesman. Other major proponents included the Baptist Charles Vince and the Unitarian H. W. Crosskey . During its early years in the 1850s and 1860s the concept of the Civic Gospel combined Dawson's liberal theology with a social and political vision of civic brotherhood that saw
33489-411: Was turned down by the city council for being impractical, and instead in 1972 the Town Hall was extensively refurbished with double glazing and more room on the platform, but little improvement in acoustics – the orchestra's manager Arthur Baker commented that "we still have the same woolly sound". More positive developments included the orchestra's first commercial sponsorship and the foundation in 1973 of
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