Batons at ready for a new season of the finest music; Classical.

Byline: PATSY FULLER

THE new international season of concerts at Birmingham Symphony Hall starts with a bang next month with Mahler's mighty eighth symphony.

It's called the Symphony of a Thousand because it involves so many players, singers and soloists. They may not number 1,000 but it might well seem

that way.

Keeping them all together will be exciting Italian con-K ductor Daniele Gatti, H directing not just the Royal H Philharmonic Orchestra, but also the London Symphony Chorus, the London Philharmonic Choir and the New London Children's Choir.

The soloists are Janice Watson, Amanda Roocroft, Gillian Keith, Catherine Wyn Rogers, Jean Rigby, Kim Begley, Phillip Joll and Matthew Best.

Mahler himself was delighted with the symphony which he modestly described as "the universe bursting into song" and the concert will take place on September 16.

Other autumn highlights include another choral work, the rarely-heard Kullervo Symphony by Sibelius, played by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, in November.

Look out for the early music specialist Trevor Pinnock who will be conducting all six of Bach's Brandenburg concertos in December.

There's plenty of singing with visits by Kiri Te Kanawa and Frederica von Stade in October, and Felicity Lott and Thomas Allen in November. Andras Schiff gives his eighth and final concert in his series of Beethoven sonatas in December.

CAPTION(S):

BIG DRAW... Kiri Te Kanawa (above), conductor Daniele Gatti (top left) and songstress Felicity Lott all play a part in the Symphony Hall's new season.