Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, I set to writing the essay for my first English homework after I鈥檇 moved up to Brighton鈥檚 most wonderful grammar-school in 1959. We had been asked to write about ourselves, and our ambitions and mine was to conduct the Philharmonia Orchestra (I only picked that one out because I hadn鈥檛 then heard of the CBSO).
In a way, that ambition has now been fulfilled, thanks to the 鈥淯niverse of Sound鈥 installation in the onetime Birmingham Municipal Bank building at the bottom of Broad Street. just across from Symphony Hall in Centenary Square. And this dark, labyrinthine setting is perfect for the Philharmonia鈥檚 Royal Philharmonic Society鈥檚 award-winning virtual, interactive experience conceived by the orchestra鈥檚 Digital Department and principal conductor and artistic advisor, Esa-Pekka Salonen.
I experienced the installation last summer at the Science Museum in London鈥檚 South Kensington and found it fascinating then. But its move to Birmingham, thanks to the involvement of Town Hall and Symphony Hall, has increased its considerable impact.
Rooms within the building display a 360-degree vision of the 132-piece Philharmonia as Salonen conducts them through what is actually a gripping account of Holst鈥檚 The Planets. Here there are conducting pods where we can conduct in front of the orchestra, matching our beats to the outlined graphic, and controlling with our left hand the volume of the orchestra.
As we wander around we can share the sonic perspective of the performance from the ears of each individual instrumental section 鈥 and I am grateful that this experience has enabled me to hear new detail which had never occurred to me in over 50 years of allegedly knowing the work.
A music-stand in each room has that instrument鈥檚 music lodged on it, whether for a resident professional to play along with the score and answer questions, or for visitors (we are urged to bring along our own instruments) to try their hands.
And in the percussion room there are instruments provided (plus genial tutor) to persuade us to contribute. This is paradise for anyone, but for children it is amazing.
The press had been preceded at the recent preview launch by pupils from Birmingham City Road Primary School, attending at breakfast-time to enjoy everything on offer.
鈥淥ne little lad told me at the end how he couldn鈥檛 wait to come back with his family and go through it all again,鈥 Town Hall and Symphony Hall press officer Fiona Fraser told me.
And this is truly an enthralling offering, and admission is free!
But to give Holst and his Planets their due: let鈥檚 remember that this traditionally 鈥淓nglish鈥 work has become a vehicle for international conductors (and Holst himself was of Swedish descent) 鈥 Herbert von Karajan鈥檚 recording of very long ago lives in the memory 鈥 so here we have the Finn Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting on this installation, and the Russian Vladimir Ashkenazy, who conducts the live performance from the Philharmonia which features on June 13 at Symphony Hall during the project鈥檚 concluding weekend.
Ashkenazy, who famously came to well-deserved prominence when he defected to the West from the Soviet Union as a pianist in the early 1960s, is now one of the world鈥檚 best-loved conductors. Among his many posts is that of principal conductor and artistic advisor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and it was after a concert with that ensemble that I recently spoke to him late at night from his Australian base.
I comment upon Ashkenazy鈥檚 long involvement with British music.
鈥淲hat is important to me is to try to express the gift of the composer, and his abilities to communicate something essential,鈥 he responds.
鈥淚n that sense the music of your country affects me very deeply. I have a very strong feeling for people like Elgar, Walton, and some of Britten鈥檚 music, of course.
鈥淎nd Holst鈥檚 Planet鈥檚 Suite! I like this extremely; it鈥檚 a wonderfully intimate self-expression of his philosophy of life. He鈥檚 a very gifted composer, and it鈥檚 a wonderful cycle of pieces which are quite unique, I think.鈥
I refer to an unforgettable account of Walton鈥檚 Second Symphony Ashkenazy directed at Warwick Arts Centre many years ago.
鈥淎h yes, well I like it very much, but personally for me I prefer the First Symphony, which I鈥檓 doing next week in Sydney.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a fantastic piece, especially the end with the trumpet solo and then the coda. The harmonies of the orchestra and the end, it鈥檚 just fantastic. It kills me!鈥
And Ashkenazy agrees with me that this is the greatest British symphony, even better than both the magnificent Elgar examples.
And we end with his delight at coming back to Birmingham. 鈥淚 love your wonderful city. I always enjoy being there.鈥
And from a world-class conductor back to me. In the conducting-pod at the Universe of Sound installation I notched up a very impressive accuracy score (though how one can be accurate in merely following another conductor鈥檚 beat is open to debate).
鈥淵ou鈥檒l probably be the highest throughout the event!鈥 flattered Fiona Fraser. I left reassured.
* Universe of Sound runs until June 16, with concerts at Symphony Hall on June 14 and 15. All details on and 0121 780 3333.
