Country music has never been more popular, as demonstrated by pop superstar Beyonce moving into the genre with the recent release of her Cowboy Carter album.
And here on Westside, indications of country becoming the fastest growing music sound in the UK are increasingly evident.
Sally Rea Morris, contemporary programme producer at B:Music, the charity which runs Symphony Hall, plays in a multi-award winning country rock band herself, and she has been helping to put Birmingham on the country music map.
This has resulted in another star-studded country music line-up planned for Saturday 20 April at Symphony Hall’s Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space, where the latest Nashville Sounds in the Round event will be hosted from 11.30am.
Sally performs alongside partner Stephen Marks in Gasoline and Matches, the resident hosts of Nashville Sounds in the Round at Symphony Hall, Birmingham’s premier country songwriter event.
Gasoline and Matches were awarded ‘Duo of the Year’ for the third time at the 2023 British Country Music Association Awards. They were also on the line-up of the prestigious Country 2 Country Festival at London’s O2 Arena on 8 March this year, alongside some of the biggest country artists in the world.
Joining them at Symphony Hall on 20 April will be:
- American country music singer Jimmy Stanley;
- Emilia Quinn, described as a vibrant force in the realm of Americana music;
- Cheshire-based singer-songwriter Chloe Chadwick;
- and prolific writer Ryan Nelson.
All tickets for the event cost £15.
Sally said: “I couldn’t be more proud of what Nashville Sounds in the Round has achieved over the seven years it has been running, and the growth since we formed our partnership with B:Music. It is my absolute pleasure to champion artists from the UK and around the world at this very special event.
“The success of the country music genre in the UK can be seen in the growing popularity of country music events here, and the concerts we host at Symphony Hall and Town Hall are no exception.
“I am thrilled that here at B:Music we can provide stages in Birmingham which are right up there with the best in the world for these country music artists to perform on.”
Other opcoming shows include country vocal quartet Little Big Town at Symphony Hall on 17 September.
For more information visit: www.bmusic.co.uk
Main photo: Gasoline and Matches
Second photo: Little Big Town
