You Call The Tunes!

The final programme for the CBSO's You Call the Tunes concert on Friday 21 May has now been annouced, and now we're asking people to support Birmingham's bid to become the UK's City of Culture by sharing their own stories about the pieces being performed. 

In this special concert, popular Classic FM presenter Simon Bates will be introducing the favourite classical pieces that have been voted for by the Midlands public including:

Holst: The Planets - Mars and Jupiter
Grieg: Peer Gynt - Morning and In the Hall of the Mountain King
Verdi: Rigoletto - La Donna è mobile
Bizet: Carmen - Les Toréadors
Pachelbel: Canon in D
Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Rossini: The Barber of Seville - Largo al Factotum
Puccini: Turandot - Nessun Dorma
Bizet: The Pearlfishers - Au fond du temple saint
Ravel: Boléro

Share your stories, experiences and views about this music

As our You Call the Tunes concert appropriately takes place on the very day that Birmingham submits its final application to become the UK’s City of Culture in 2013, we’re supporting the bid by asking people to share their stories about why they love these classical pieces. We want to hear from you about why any of these pieces are special to you, and we'd like to use your quotes on this page (see below for other people's experiences) so please do get in touch with Amy Poyser (apoyser@cbso.co.uk).

To book for You Call the Tunes: Telephone Symphony Hall Box Office on 0121 780 3333 or click here to book online

Birmingham Big City Culture For more details about Birmingham's bid to become the UK's City of Culture in 2010, click here

Your musical memories...

"My father, a great classical music lover, passed on to my brother and I a great love for classical music. When he found out how much I enjoyed Nessun Dorma he told me that if I loved this, I would really fall in love with Au Fond du Temple Saint. This piece will always remind me of my Father and for this I am very grateful as both pieces can reach down into my soul. It's almost like touching the face of God when I hear either of those pieces."
Mr P. Stevens from Great Barr, Birmingham about Nessun Dorma and Au fond du temple saint.

"My favourite piece of music is Nessun Dorma as it was sung at our daughter's wedding by a school friend Richard Whitehouse, so of course it is very special, he gave up singing at La Scala to perform."
Janet Goode

"Pachelbel Canon in D always reminds us of our fantastic wedding day in 2002, this piece of music was played by a string quartet as the bride entered the church! We look forward to hearing the full CBSO play this moving piece."
Simon & Emma Kelsey

“I am delighted that Vaughan Williams's Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis has made the cut. Helen and I chose this music to be played during our wedding ceremony (during the register signing) so it has always held a special meaning for us. It will be our tenth anniversary in September.”
Jonathan Treml from Birmingham about Vaughan Williams's Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

"This was the first piece of music that really made my hair stand on end, nearly 40 years ago - and it still does! First choice for my Desert Island."
Mrs Wareham from Solihull, Birmingham about Bizet's The Pearlfishers - Au fond du temple saint

"When I worked at a bookshop in London, and it had been a particularly bad day, my friend in the music section used to put this on to sooth my frayed nerves. It's beautiful."
Julie Rudd from Birmingham about Pachelbel's Canon in D

"It is beautifully evocative of the start of a new day!"
Mr Goodman from Walsall, West Midlands about Grieg's Peer Gynt - Morning