This year the bands we have coming to #OIOW2020 are so great, but so expensive (!) we need to raise some money to keep the prices the same as last year. Some of the best local artists are going to sing their favourite Beatles songs to help us out! Big Thanks to them, and to you for supporting us!

Violet Brimley, widow of the Parish and woman ‘of a certain age’, has had a long and varied career spent on her hands and knees……as a cleaning lady. From pubs to posh houses this National Treasure provides her clients with specialist services – the tiniest flicks of her feather duster leaving everything spick and span.  But there is so much more to the job than just cleaning.

In A Lifetime’s Interest, Trouble for Sixpence and Lady with a Fan, Violet reveals what really goes on behind closed doors.

This evening includes a 2 course supper.

Limited tickets – only available online – www.etickets.im/cc

Rescheduled Date

Award winning Jazz guitarist MARTIN TAYLOR teams up with acoustic and slide guitar virtuoso MARTIN SIMPSON. The pair shares the stage throughout the performance – adding to each other’s songs and instrumental pieces, taking them to sublime new heights. Martin Taylor was name-checked on BBC Radio 2’s Breakfast Show as being considered THE best guitarist by no less than Jeff Beck – leading to a live session on the show the next morning. Completely self taught, he has enjoyed a remarkable musical career spanning across four decades and during that time has invented and developed a way of playing the guitar that is admired, and often imitated, by guitarists all over the world. As well as being a true guitar innovator, he is also a master concert performer, dazzling audiences with his solo shows, which combine virtuosity, emotion and humour, with a strong stage presence. He spends much of the year travelling the world, playing in concert halls in Europe, North America, Japan, Asia, and Australasia.

As well as his solo concerts and recordings, he has also collaborated with musiciansfrom many different musical genre including, Stephane Grappelli, Chet Atkins, EricClapton, Bill Wyman, George Harrison, Dionne Warwick, Bryn Terfel and Jamie
Cullum. In 2002,he was appointed MBE “For Services To Jazz Music”, in The Queen’sBirthday Honours List, which he received personally from Her Majesty The Queen at aninvestiture at Buckingham Palace.

There is no doubt that after 35 years as a professional musician Martin Simpson is, right now, better than ever. Widely acknowledged as one of the finest acoustic and slide guitar players in the world, his interpretations of traditional songs are masterpieces of storytelling. His solo shows are intense, eclectic, spellbinding and deeply moving. Martin has been nominated an astounding 23 times in the eleven years of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards – more than any other performer – with 9 consecutive years as nominee for Musician of The Year, which he has won twice.

2008 saw an incredible 5 nominations for "Prodigal Son’ and 2 wins, whilst in 2010 he had an unprecedented 6 nominations for his CD, "True Stories" and a win for Best Traditional Track, "Sir Patrick Spens". Whether playing American old-time music, blues, a Dylan song or his own material, Martin Simpson is unpredictable, individual and a guitarist of immense subtlety.

This show has now been postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. We are hoping to be able to reschedule it for some time in 2021, but we don’t have a date yet we will be refunding all tickets. If you purchased tickets online these will be refunded to you automatically within the next 28 days. If you purchased physical tickets, please return them when you can to the outlet you purchased the ticket from for a refund.

We apologise for any inconvenience that this may have caused.

The show is the brainchild of Gina Foster and Tessa Niles. Gina, Tessa, Keith Murrell and Mim Grey have sung backing vocals for an untouchable array of stars such as David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Paul McCartney, The Who and Eric Clapton to name a few. For the first time we see them step into the spotlight. Joining them on this musical journey is Musical Director, Mike Moran.

The show is the ultimate backstage pass into the world of Rock and Pop. Blending the history of British backing vocalists with revealing storytelling, featuring the songs the Unsung Singers have helped make hits.
​We take a peak behind the curtain at what went on during the recording sessions and tours of some of the biggest artists in the world.

https://www.unsungsingers.com

Come and dance to the Big Band Sound with a programme to suit all ages, including classics from the Kenton, Basie and Miller libraries through to the 21st Century sounds of the Big Phat Band.

The emphasis,  as always, is on entertainment and fun.

Tickets on sale soon!

We are delighted that the Little Big Time Band are returning to the Centenary Centre on Sat 4th April. The band consists of a member from each section of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. They are doing a fun concert for children in the afternoon and an adult virtuoso performance in the evening