Inside Classical: A Birmingham Celebration with the BBC Symphony Orchestra (S1EP3 BBC Four Sunday 23 October 2022)

A Birmingham Celebration with the BBC Symphony Orchestra: A musical and spoken word performance event honouring Birmingham and the West Midlands. The concert, which includes the BBC Symphony Orchestra and is conducted by Principal Guest Conductor Dalia Stasevska, is an emotional and energising combination of top musicians and some of the most promising vocal talent in the city and vicinity.

This unique event explores the city’s musical heritage and spirit from the splendour of Birmingham Symphony Hall with more than 100 musicians and arrangements and orchestrations by Jules Buckley. It also tells the truth about how much the people of Brum love it.

Along with a cast of performers that includes rapper SANITY, poet John Bernard, slam champion Jasmine Gardosi, artist TrueMendous, singer-producer Agaama, and Birmingham vocal group Black Voices, it is introduced by Casey Bailey.

Titled Beyond the Bricks of Brum, the concert is split into three parts:

Create the City is about the creation of Birmingham – its heritage, its people, its architecture and its spirit

Interrogate the City is an exploration of people’s love for what is known as England’s Second City, told honestly without glossing over its imperfections and showcasing the real Birmingham.

Celebrate the City is a round of applause to Birmingham as an important UK city and the home of the performers.

Recorded in June in the run-up to Birmingham’s successful Commonwealth Games.

Airdate: Sunday 23 October 2022 at 20:00 on BBC Four

Season 1 Episode 3

Series in which the BBC orchestras and their specially invited guests perform concerts in some of the UK’s most prestigious concert halls.