Peter Grimes Royal Opera House, London ★★★★★ Michael Church Allan Clayton, John Tomlinson, Bryn Terfel, Jacques Imbrailo, James Gilchrist, John Graham-Hall – and all under the musical dire...Read More
A new concert series (HP Futures); a new venue (St Martin-in-the-Fields has transformed both its subterranean regions and its artistic programme); and a potential new star in the making: what’s not ...Read More
Figure St John Passion St Bartholomew the Great, Smithfield In medieval times, miracles were often ascribed to the healing power of the priory at St Bartholomew the Great, London’s oldest parish chu...Read More
Yellow Star – Red Star By Agnes Kaposi with László Csősz i2i Publishing £16.95 300pp Agnes Kaposi begins her autobiography with a disarmingly simple statement. ‘I should have had a good start ...Read More
I have just watched John Barber’s youth opera The Selfish Giant at Garsington. And I can’t remember when I last heard a new opera – for any age-group – which gave me such unalloyed pleasur...Read More
I Solomon, Great Hall, Bart’s Hospital Quatuor pour la fin du temps, St Paul’s Cathedral New Dark Age, Royal Opera House, London With the whole world of classical music engaged in streaming, l...Read More
Live Prom 1, BBC2 From the Independent, 29.8.2020 “We’re in for ninety minutes of heaven, in this Mecca of live music!” This is the first night of the Live Proms, and Katie Derham is in Radio 3 ...Read More
The First BBC Prom Radio 3 Well, here we are, with the inevitable promotional hype about these Proms-as-never-before. ‘Nothing stops this great festival’ trumpets the presenter, before inviting me...Read More
Fidelio Unbound Clerkenwell, London Live music is cautiously making its comeback, in many ways and in unexpected places. Bidden to a concert at the Fidelio restaurant on busy Clerkenwell Road, I ask f...Read More
Musicians are at a precipice – but does the government care? Given a fanatical Brexiteer cabinet fixated on impossible dreams, and some stunningly inadequate ministers in charge of important a...Read More