SHOWS WON’T BUST BUDGET

ROYAL Birmingham Conservatoire prides itself on staging the best value concerts in the city.

From lunchtime recitals to early evening jazz gigs, family operas, theatre productions and risk-taking, experimental new work, the range is as large as it is eclectic and the quality always top notch.

And many events, including its regular Monday lunchtime concert series, are completely free, while most of the rest have a top ticket price of £15 or less. Here are some forthcoming highlights...

Songs of Innocence and Experience, The Old Rep Theatre, March 21-23.

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Theatre Company’s new production based on the life and work of the 18th century painter, poet and engraver William Blake, who was described by Wordsworth as insane and by Coleridge as a genius. £6.50-£13.

Grimethorpe Colliery

Band in Concert with Rex Richardson, Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, March 22, 7.30pm

The band that became a household name when they featured in the film Brassed Off perform music by Vaughan Williams and Bernstein, plus a few surprises, with International trumpet virtuoso Richardson. £5-£22.50.

Romantic Revival Orchestra, CBSO Centre, March 28, 7pm.

As the name suggests, it’s romantic music – old and new – that takes centre stage with this newly-formed orchestra. Sit back and enjoy Chopin’s First Piano Concerto, arrangements of a selection of Nocturnes and Skempton’s Lento. £5-£15.

ConsTest, Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, April 6, 10am-10pm. Experience a day of wall-towall brass music as bands compete for a plethora of awards. Then, hear a guest set at the ConsTest Gala by the world-famous Flowers Band and join the post-results party in the Eastside Jazz Club where the Fluorescent Brassolescents play Arctic Monkeys’ greatest hits and the Ambrassadors perform party bangers. £5-£18

Details and tickets at www.bcu.ac.uk/concerts or on 0121 331 5901.