The Trail of Choices

Grab your map, trust your ears, and prepare to choose your own adventure. The Trail of Choices is an interactive musical journey that transforms young pupils into the heroes of a high-energy story. When a mysterious enemy sends the protagonist off course, the only way home is by navigating a maze of musical worlds. Armed with an entirely memorized repertoire, musicians from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra perform right among the audience, allowing children to "listen with their eyes" through visual staging and physical storytelling. By solving musical puzzles and voting on which path to take, children actively dictate the narrative arc, exploring everything from Ravel and Copland to contemporary works played on glass bottles. It is a warm, inclusive introduction to chamber music that empowers real audience ownership. Produced in 2026 by MishMash Productions in a brilliant three-year partnership with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), this thrilling staged concert was written by acclaimed children’s author Kate Wakeling and directed by Sophie Rivlin.