New Season Announced for Town Hall/Symphony Hall

Big names and future stars will be performing this autumn.

A brand new jazz, folk, world and roots season at Birmingham Town Hall and Symphony Hall – the most extensive to date and packed with music from around the world – has been announced and is now on sale.

The season includes dhol ‘n’ brass from the USA, Jamaican-inspired jazz-ska fusion, Norwegian avant-jazz, Scottish folk-rock and Spanish flamenco among over thirty ticketed and twenty free concerts and performances.

Joan Armatrading

Joan Armatrading

Leading international artists including Nigel Kennedy (10th September, Symphony Hall), Joan Armatrading (26th October, Symphony Hall) and Wayne Shorter (exclusive UK date 1st November, Town Hall) are set to appear, and home-grown musical talent such as Sara Colman (12th October, CBSO Centre), Soweto Kinch (20th October, mac), the Old Dance School (30th October, Town Hall) and the Notebenders (14th December, Symphony Hall Café Bar) will also give performances.

Highlights of the season include Mandala, a free major outdoor dance and 3D spectacular (Friday 7th September, Chamberlain Square) preceded by a free performance from Brooklyn’s Red Baraat, a tribute to Bob Marley by leading UK jazz and reggae artists Jazz Jamaica in Catch A Fire (Saturday 13th September, Town Hall), Led Zeppelin guitarist John Paul Jones joining Norwegian improvisation group Supersilent live on stage (Wednesday 14th November, Town Hall) and an intimate show from the Ivor Novello award-winning singer-songwriter Scott Matthews (1st December, Town Hall).

As well as shows from US country singer-songwriters Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin (18th October, Symphony Hall), acclaimed jazz drummer Jack DeJohnette (20th November, Adrian Boult Hall) and exhilarating Argentian musical Tango Pasion (3rd December, Town Hall), the venues also welcome back popular artists including Seth Lakeman (25th October, Town Hall) the Proclaimers (6th November, Town Hall),(15th December, Town Hall), the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain (17 December, Symphony Hall) and Kate Rusby (19th December, Town Hall).

Music fans will also have plenty of chances to catch gigs from local and emerging talent for free at the Jazzlines Free Jazz Gigs (formerly Rush Hour Blues), Folk For Free and Mid-day Mantra sessions, programmed by Jazzlines, Moseley Folk and sampad at Symphony Hall Café Bar over the coming months.

For further details and tickets sales call the box office on 0121-780 3333 or visit www.thsh.co.uk