What do Birmingham and Utrecht have in common? Historic canals. Both cities are best viewed from the water. Given this fact, Gaudeamus and the renowned Birmingham Contemporary Music Group together came up with an idea for a very special concert on the water: the Singel Serenade. The musicians will perform in small boats sailing around the Utrecht Singel. Depending on wind direction and on the choreography of the boats vis-à-vis the choir, the audience on the quayside will keep discovering different sections of the music.
Composers Richard Baker, Yannis Kyriakides and Ondřej Adámek wrote new works especially for this concert, involving a whole range of instruments, including trombone, accordion, percussion, voice and electronics. The three new pieces fuse together to form a single collage that pays musical tribute to the city and its canals.
On the quayside next to TivoliVredenburg.
Photo © Robert Day
Birmingham Contemporary Music Group
Chamber Choir VeNUS
Richard Baker - Birmingham Canal Songs
Yannis Kyriakides - Music for Barges
Ondřej Adámek - Share the Space