CBSO partners with Black Voices to explore New World Symphony

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is set to collaborate with exciting new partners in an exploration of Dvořák’s Ninth Symphony this Saturday (15 February). The orchestra, led by music director Kazuki Yamada, will be joined at Town Hall Birmingham by Birmingham-based a cappella quintet Black Voices and broadcaster and bassoonist Linton Stephens.

In a programme combining the symphony with traditional African American Spirituals arranged by American composer Harry Burleigh, the CBSO will guide audiences in an exploration of the origins and historic context of Dvořák’s 9th Symphony. Each movement of the symphony will be introduced by Linton Stephens, offering valuable insight into the music and poetry that inspired the symphony’s creation.

The CBSO’s creative director of learning and engagement Tom Spurgin said: ‘We're always excited to explore collaborations that bring people closer to incredible music. Saturday’s concert follows immediately after our Friday performance of the ‘New World’ symphony at Symphony Hall, offering the audience deeper insight into the origins of this well-known piece, and bringing to the fore the amazing work of Harry Burleigh. Audiences are in for a real treat, hearing the Dvořák and spirituals performed by the CBSO and the extraordinary Black Voices.’

Composed in 1893 while Anton Dvořák was the director of the National Conservatory of Music in America, his Ninth Symphony ‘From the New World’ is a well-known work for both classical fans and those unfamiliar with the genre, as it featured in the 1973 TV advert for Hovis directed by Ridley Scott.

Further information about the performance, including tickets, can be found here.