Down with the Patribachy

Closing the day, Down with the Patribachy brings the Classically Black programme to an energising finish with a live podcast event that re-examines the story of Western classical music through the work of underrepresented composers too often overlooked. Blending humour, insight and performance, the session offers audiences a fast-paced, engaging journey through musical history from a fresh, inclusive perspective. Hosted by Ellie Ajao, the event features a live panel with Joe McHardy and Emma Arthur, who will bring their expertise, reflections and conversation to a discussion shaped by curiosity, challenge and discovery. Alongside the panel, Omnium Ensemble will perform live, adding a powerful musical dimension to the evening and bringing some of these wider histories and hidden voices into the room. Together, the conversation and performance invite audiences to think differently about the canon, question whose stories have been centred, and celebrate the richness of the voices that have too often been left out. Entertaining, thought-provoking and full of personality, Down with the Patribachy offers a lively new lens on classical music history while continuing the wider Classically Black conversation around representation, access and belonging in the genre today.