Incredibly, there were orchestras in most Nazi concentration camps – music became a means of control. Popular ballads conjured an illusion of normality for camp arrivals, while marching tunes imposed order on slave labourers. On Sundays, performing prisoners were forced to entertain their tormentors. By using the testimony of musicians at Auschwitz and the pieces they played, this concert honours their memory and the lives of the millions who did not survive.
The second half of the concert will feature Caroline Shaw's 'Entr'acte' for string quartet and Brahm's First Piano Quartet, played by other musicians.
Screening of 'Sherlock Junior' (1924)
A rare opportunity to experience this 1920’s classic silent comedy film with a live score, 100 years on from its original release.
Read the British Library blog post about this concert here >
Discover Conway Hall in a series of exclusive tours for Open House London. Artistic Director Simon Callaghan will introduce the sublime acoustics of the Main Hall – home to Europe’s longest-running chamber music series. Discover the Library and Archives with Librarian Olwen Terris, and explore the home of the UK’s most comprehensive humanist archival collection. Along the way, hear some of the stories of the people who have walked its floors, and those who helped to make Conway Hall Ethical Society what it is today.
After your tour, drop in to the Brockway Room to see a pop-up display of material from our archives, including original plans and drawings, tracing the history of the building back to its origins in 1929.
The Birmingham International Piano Competition - now in its new home at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire - remains committed to the art of the piano recital and continues to provide young pianists aged 18-28 a chance to further their career.
In a first for the competition, competitors are offered almost complete free reign over their programming. Over the course of two preliminary rounds, three outstanding pianists are chosen for the Final, in which they each will perform a 40-minute recital in the impressive surroundings of the Conservatoire's flagship Bradshaw Hall.
