Two Hearts
To celebrate UNESCO’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3rd 2021, CBSO, AUDIOVISABILITY and DEAF EXPLORER will deliver a week of online workshops and performances dispelling the notion that deafness and music do not go together.
Schools have the option of participating throughout the week. We encourage everyone to watch the concert with Dame Evelyn Glennie on Friday 3rd December.
Monday 29th November 2021
No.1 Laurentia & Sherlock’s Theme Tune
Activity: Music & Movement – time signatures & rhythms
You’ll need: Access to Youtube links.
– Link to online workshop AV Two Hearts Workshop Pack

Keys signatures in music are something that took me years and years to understand, why and what, how they are used – to the hearing person they can hear the changes in keys (known as modulation) – from going hot to cold (imperfect cadence) etc sad to happy (perfect cadence) and this is not something that comes easily to me.
Tuesday 30th November 2021
No.2 La Peregrinación
Activity: Music & Storytelling – performance & soundscape
You’ll need: Paper, coloured pens, access to Youtube links
Responding to music visually with non-verbal sign language
Wednesday 1st December 2021
No.3 Sugar Plum Fairy & Senorita
Activity: Music & Sign Language
You’ll need: Paper, pens, access to Youtube links
– Link to online workshop AV Two Hearts Workshop Pack
What impression on the imagination does music create, eg excitement, dark, haunting, peaceful, gentle like flows of water in a stream.
Thursday 2nd December 2021
No 4: Two Hearts
Activity: Music & Visual Arts
You’ll need: paper, art materials
– Link to online workshop AV Two Hearts Workshop Pack
“Building on layers with paint, I see similarities to the artistic process of a cellist or string quartet to that of a landscape painter, with each instrument having its own texture.”
Friday 3rd December 2021
No.5: Full Concert Experience
You’ll need: Youtube link and some popcorn.
Playback of Two Hearts Concert
A concert celebrating the world of Dressage Music at the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO)
– Link to Steam specially edited concert footage and interviews, with subtitles and BSL available December 3rd 2021
Click on this link to watch the Two Hearts concert at CBSO
Joining the CBSO will be Dame Evelyn Glennie, Nao Masuda – Japanese Taiko and world-renowned dressage composer, Tom Hunt. This is your opportunity to watch a technologically ground-breaking concert, audiences will experience both classical and world music and will explore music visually through Zoe McWhinney Visual Vernacular (VV) performances and creative captioning.
Interviews now give context to the action-packed programme; Dame Evelyn Glennie open’s with a fanfare inspired improvised piece and performs a custom composition, ‘East and West’ with Nao Masuda. There will be performances of Para-Equestrian Laurentia Tan’s previous competition pieces and iconic classical tracks.
It is a truly eye-opening experience that reimagines what a traditional concert is. It should not be missed.
Deaf Explorer
Deaf Explorer transforms the autonomy and destiny of D/deaf artists. We forge radical approaches and creative opportunities to produce contemporary D/deaf culture.
Audiovisability
Founded by Deaf Musician Ruth Montgomery Audiovisability is a charity bringing the highest quality of classical and non-western traditional music to deaf people.
Founded in 2016, Audiovisability is passionate in its belief that deaf people can, and do, engage with and make music. Our projects focus on making audio visible, showcasing the talents and tenacity of the lived experiences of deaf people.
Through our work we are already showing that deaf people are quite able to realise their music potential on an equal footing with hearing people when given the right opportunities and resources.
Working with deaf children, deaf artists and deaf communities locally and globally, Audiovisability designs and delivers collaborative creative professional interventions and inclusive learning environments that are wholly original in their shape and form.
CBSO
The CBSO is committed to supporting and developing the musical education of children and young people, building their skills as creators and performers, expanding their musical interests and experiences, and inspiring a lifelong appreciation of live performance.