Culture

Classical music

The internationally-renowned City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra's home venue is Symphony Hall, where it gives frequent performances.

The equally world-renowned Birmingham Royal Ballet also resides in the city as will the world's oldest vocational dance school, Elmhurst.

The Birmingham Triennial Music Festival took place from 1784 - 1912 and was considered the grandest of its kind throughout Britain. Music was written for the festival by Mendelssohn, Gounod, Sullivan, Dvorak, Bantock and most notably Elgar, who wrote four of his most famous choral pieces for Birmingham.

Birmingham's other city- centre music venues include The National Indoor Arena (NIA) and the Birmingham Town Hall, which played host to many classical and popular music performances from the late 1800s, but which is currently closed for refurbishment.

Literature

Many famous literary figures have been associated with Birmingham:
The Lord of the Rings author J. R. R. Tolkien spent most of his childhood in the Birmingham area, and his work is believed to have been influenced by his time there [2] his parents also came from Birmingham.
Barbara Cartland or "The Lady in Pink" was born in Edgbaston July 9th 1901. The family home was on Cartland Road, Kings Heath.
Washington Irving [3] lived in Birmingham for some time, during which he wrote stories including Rip van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Bracebridge Hall, or, The Humorists, A Medley is based on Aston Hall.
Arthur Conan Doyle [4] lived in Aston from about Spring 1879 - early 1882 and many of his works include references to people or places he knew there.
Benjamin Zephaniah is a famous black dub poet from Handsworth who tackles prejudice, poverty and injustice.
Charles Dickens gave readings in Birmingham Town Hall.
Judith Cutler's crime novels are set in present-day Birmingham. The city also has literary workshops such as Tindal Street Press.

The actors in the long-running Radio 4 serial The Archers live in and around Birmingham, where the programme is in fact made.

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