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A welcome to Figure, the new period-performance band

Posted on September 18, 2021September 19, 2021 by Michael Church
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’ – a remarkable and shocking story

Posted on August 2, 2021August 24, 2021 by Michael Church
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

The Selfish Giant – a fine new youth opera

Posted on August 2, 2021August 3, 2021 by Michael Church
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

Classical events under Covid

Posted on October 28, 2020October 29, 2020 by Michael Church
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

How not to present a Live Prom

Posted on August 29, 2020August 30, 2020 by Michael Church
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

Rule Britannia: a storm in a teacup, capitalised on by Johnson and the Mail

Posted on August 26, 2020August 29, 2020 by Michael Church
Rule Britannia – and how the Tory media have capitalised on it By Michael Church From the Independent, 26.8.20 You couldn’t make it up. First the chronology. On Sunday, in what seemed like a k... Read More

John Gilhooly’s Wigmore leads the charge

Posted on August 8, 2020August 8, 2020 by Michael Church
It’s no surprise that classical music should come last in the government’s list of priorities for resuscitation. It’s also no surprise that John Gilhooly, boss of the Wigmore Hall, should be the... Read More

Prom No 1 – good in parts

Posted on July 23, 2020July 26, 2020 by Michael Church
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 – a nice combination of music and gastronomy

Posted on July 23, 2020July 24, 2020 by Michael Church
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

Classical music: the Proms, and the state we’re in

Posted on July 6, 2020July 17, 2020 by Michael Church
Classical music in crisis, and the Proms By Michael Church   Whither live classical music? When the lockdown was enforced, all concerts were cancelled for the foreseeable future, and musical life... Read More
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Recent Posts

  • A powerful and convincing Butterfly at the ROH
  • From Glyndebourne a weird Boheme, with brilliant principals
  • At Garsington, the ‘Orfeo’ of our dreams, and a brilliantly revived ‘Cosi’
  • ENO’s new production of The Handmaid’s Tale – a clever staging, but a very unpleasant experience
  • Peter Grimes at ROH – a standout success

Recent Comments

  • D irvine on Phage medicine – at last the BBC and the press wake up
  • Richard Seymour Roques on Phage medicine – at last the BBC and the press wake up
  • Adam on Anderszewski celebrates his fiftieth at the Wigmore in typically unorthodox style
  • Nicholas on Anderszewski celebrates his fiftieth at the Wigmore in typically unorthodox style
  • Anna Basaldua on Anderszewski celebrates his fiftieth at the Wigmore in typically unorthodox style

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