On Record: In Conversation with Carol Pemberton MBE

Wednesday 18th May

Steel Pulse bassist Amlak Tafari and broadcaster Satnam Rana present twenty-two conversations with Birmingham musicians, promoters, managers, venue owners and entrepreneurs who have all contributed to local, national, and international music culture.

 

Join us and our special guests for conversations about their lives in music, their connections to the city, and how Birmingham has inspired or influenced them, personally and musically.

Selected dates also feature free live performances from the artists appearing On Record. The first of its kind, On Record is a multi-artist, multi-genre concept album forming a sonic love letter to the city of Birmingham. Produced as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival, the eleven-track album will be available on a limited vinyl release and across all streaming platforms.

Carol Pemberton MBE is the founder of Black Voices, the UK’s foremost female a cappella quintet. In this conversation we follow Carol’s journey that began in Birmingham, as one of ten children to parents of the Windrush Generation, to performing in every continent, before royalty, presidents, and with many of her idols.

Carol is an accomplished choral director and has led the popular Gospel Choir course at Dartington International Summer School for over 20 years. She also leads a wide range of choral workshops, summer schools and international courses. Black Voices are embedded in the local music scene and provide education outreach in schools and communities, and it is for her services to music that she was awarded an MBE.

Produced in partnership with B:Music

More Birmingham Listings MORE

Birmingham Friday 2nd October 2026

And Still I Rise

And Still I Rise brings an inspiring evening of new Black creativity to Midlands Arts Centre, showcasing emerging…

Birmingham Saturday 3rd October 2026

An Evening of Excellence

An Evening of Excellence brings contemporary art, fine dining, entertainment and community together for a sophisticated celebration of…

Birmingham Tuesday 6 October to Saturday 10 October 2026

Sylvia

Sylvia tells the powerful and often overlooked story of Sylvia Pankhurst — a fearless, complex and determined figure…

Birmingham Thursday 8th October 2026

Margaret Busby: Part of the Story

Pioneering publisher, editor, writer and cultural campaigner Margaret Busby comes to Birmingham Literature Festival to reflect on more…

Birmingham Thursday 8th October 2026

African Soul Rebels

African Soul Rebels returns for a new generation, bringing some of the most adventurous voices in contemporary African…