Some of Birmingham’s most creative musicians and performers have come together for the ‘Stockhausen Festival of Light‘, a celebration of the hugely influential electronic composer Karlheinz Stockhausen running from 19-21 August. With the backing of the Birmingham musical institutions of the University of Birmingham and the Birmingham Conservatoire, speakers from all around the world have been brought in to share their thoughts on the man. These talks will all lead up to big finale of the festival in the spectacle of the Birmingham Opera Company‘s performance of Stockenhausen’s opera “Mittwoch aus Licht” that will be performed at Argyle Works.

This will be the world premiere of the opera, which has been previously labelled “unstageable”; and no wonder with this description: “string quartet performing in helicopters, electronic and acoustic music and a dancing camel”.  Unfortunately tickets for the performances are all sold out, BUT there is still hope!

If you want to catch one of Birmingham’s best theatrical production companies doing something never seen fully on stage ever before, your only chance to see some of the 6 hour Opera will be a visit to the dress rehearsal on Tuesday 21 August as part of the Stockhausen festival, or head to the website the Space (http://thespace.org/) where the Helicopter String Quartet is due to be broadcast.

This just in:  The Big Screen in Victoria Square on Wed 22nd will be showing a live  satellite relay, so now you have no excuse to miss out.

As part of the festival will a performance at the MAC called ‘Modified Stockhausen‘ and will feature the Birmingham toy tamperers Modified Toy Orchestra, tracing their influence back to Stockhausen through their playful electronic dismantlements.

Featuring real helicopters, two choirs, octophonic sound, numerous musicians, the Radio 1 DJ Nihal and requiring two separate performance halls, this will be the first time that all six parts of the opera have been staged together.

Yeah, helicopters.

Wednesday from Light easily ticks the once-in-a-lifetime criteria. Its finale, in which a string quartet perform in separate helicopters – so the whirring blades become part of the music – has been performed in isolation, but never as part of a complete performance. Vick said the DJ Nihal would be part of the helicopter segment in the role Stockhausen intended for himself, as a kind of moderator or commentator.

What’s not to love about that?