Last night marked something of a homecoming for Birmingham-born singer and songwriter Laura Mvula, as she took to the stage at Symphony Hall, beautifully accompanied by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), in a performance broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.

Classically trained at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, with a deep musical connection to many Birmingham and Midland institutions, it was Mvula’s long-standing relationship with the CBSO in the spotlight last night. Mvula was employed as a receptionist at the CBSO Centre where, as she put it, “when they were on tour I could go in the rehearsal room and play on the Steinways”. 

Although she has performed and collaborated with orchestras in the past, the occasion was “extra special and surreal”. It was clear that the fondness between singer and orchestra flowed both ways - some of the orchestral performers on stage would have been members of the CBSO when she worked at the Centre. The performance was presented as part of Black Lives in Music’s ‘Classically Black’ festival, celebrating the brilliance of Black composers and musicians.

The concert featured songs from all three of Mvula’s studio albums - Sing to the Moon (2013), The Dreaming Room (2016) and Pink Noise (2021) - and 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.

The CBSO was conducted by Matthew Lynch, and Musical Director Troy Miller, who produced her second album and arranged many of the pieces, also played drums. Giving a different texture alongside the orchestra were Mvula’s band, consisting of Oli Rockberger on keys, Daniel Hutchinson on guitar, and Karl Onibuje on bass guitar. Iona Thomas, Baby Sol and Philly Lopez sang backing vocals - almost becoming an extra instrument in the orchestra with their sweet, jammy harmonies. 

Highlights were a dramatic full orchestra arrangement of Kiss My Feet, and the rhythmic Flying Without You to close the first half, in which the orchestra contributed to the percussion section via clapping. In the second half of the programme, Mvula welcomed “friend and mentor” Eska Mtungwazi to join her in a performance of It Would Be - written by Mvula for Cynthia Erivo, in the 2023 film Drift. It Would Be in concert was a triumph, with the orchestra at its most cinematic - a stunning celebration of the voices on stage. 

Birmingham welcomed Laura Mvula’s appearance at Symphony Hall with open arms, in a truly special collaboration, showcasing one of the city’s finest voices alongside its own orchestra.

Five Stars

Laura Mvula with the CBSO performed at Birmingham Symphony Hall on Friday 10 October. The concert can be heard in full for a limited time on BBC Radio 3