Equinox : A Cultural Olympiad Choral Celebration
Saturday 17th March 2012 Symphony Hall Birmingham
EQUINOX will be a once in a lifetime celebration of the rich depth of our local cultural heritage. After two years of creative planning, Symphony Hall will witness the realisation of the vision of bringing together 350 choral singers and percussion groups reflecting the Chinese, Indian, Arabic, African Caribbean, Eastern and Western European communities of Birmingham and the West Midlands. The concert will open with a percussion fanfare composed by John Barber, before each of the cultural groups perform pieces reflecting the universal themes of equality, creation, family and citizenship. This 2012 Cultural Olympiad event will climax with all performers combining in the world premiere of a unique composition by Midlands composer Christopher Long, conducted by Adrian Lucas. The text in Hindi, Mandarin, Polish, Arabic, Swahili and Latin has been chosen by the performing groups.
CHOIR ACCOMPANIST AND DEPUTY CONDUCTOR John Barber BA (Music)
Voices and percussion are the oldest forms of music making. Singing has the power to communicate human emotion both between and within cultures. Gareth Malone of BBC’s ‘The Choir’ has said “The whole point of human society is that we get together and we enjoy each other’s company. Choirs are the culmination of that and an expression of something that is deeply personal and deeply human.” This is the spirit we aim to capture in a magical evening of music making. It is a spirit which reflects the Olympic Values of excellence, friendship and respect and we are proud of the fact that Equinox has been awarded the 2012 Cultural Olympiad Inspire Mark.
The Arts Council are supporting Equinox. The Royal Society for the Arts has designated it as an official regional RSA event and will host a pre-concert talk at 6.15pm in Symphony Hall. Anita Bhalla OBE, Chair of Midlands Arts Centre and community arts champion will present the concert.
Anita Bhalla OBE, Chair of Midlands Arts Centre
Tickets can be booked through Symphony Hall box office, 0121 780 3333, or on-line at www.thsh.co.uk.
Further information can be found at www.citychoir.org.uk/Equinox.
Equinox will be a feast of sound and emotion, an event to uplift spirits and renew faith in the power of peoples to create experiences that motivate and inspire, based on a shared passion for humanity.
