News Story
It was a full circle moment for musician Laura Mvula as she joined us in October for a concert celebrating her music, past and present.
Having once worked as a receptionist on the front desk at the CBSO Centre, we were so excited to invite Laura back to perform with us in her hometown.
I admired so much of the music and the musicians that I got to know during my time at the CBSO. To sit amongst the CBSO and play my own music feels like a fantasy to me.
Laura now lives in London but it’s clear that Birmingham still holds a very special place in her heart. “In Birmingham, you could pretty much put me anywhere and I’d know my way around by foot. It’s the only place in the world for which that’s true for me”. Birmingham’s a place she associates with family, community, warmth and a general cheeriness, she even has a recurring dream about the 35 bus route! “So many places in Birmingham represent huge or intimate moments in my life, whether that was Moseley being the daytime hangout spots, the Midlands Art Centre where I got my piano lessons, or the central library which was a staple both for my personal and academic life and a place where I discovered a lot of new music”.
Birmingham had such a genuine faith in me from since I was a little kid so to return as an artist whose music people enjoy will be very special.
Laura Mvula with the CBSO represents a new era and kickstarts what she stated is the most exciting point of her career. “To start this new era in Birmingham with the CBSO is perfect and I’m so happy to be able to share this pinnacle moment with my loved ones in Birmingham”.
The concert featured the familiar, well-loved tunes as well as new interpretations of her music and sneak peeks of a new album! Laura has arranged her music for orchestras before so this was no new feat for her.
I first arranged ‘Can’t Live with the World’ for the Metropole Orkest and I was petrified that it wouldn’t play right. It was one thing growing up with orchestras and another to have them play your music. So it was a really new thing for me, however now it requires me to dig deeper and I thrive on that challenge, as much as it might terrify me.
It’s safe to say hearing her music performed by a full orchestra elevated Laura’s music in a way you might nto have heard before. We were thrilled to be a part of this new journey in Laura Mvula’s career, celebrating one of Birmingham’s own.
It’s not everyday that you get to write and perform with an orchestra. I want to do something meaningful and special. My career is a product of a lot of work, generosity and resource from this special city.
The orchestra presented a beautifully varied backdrop for Mvula’s vocals. Whether pared back, singing solo with her own piano accompaniment, performing with her band, or accompanied by full orchestra and backing singers, the arrangements were beautifully pitched, and Mvula’s compositions shone - in turn angular, lyrical and soaring.
