Is folk music dying? In my new book I suggest that it is, at least in Europe and North America, thanks to the globalisation, urbanisation, and industrialisation which is now eroding the worldâ...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, Londonâs oldest parish chu...Read More
Yellow Star â Red Star By Agnes Kaposi with LĂĄszlĂł CsĹsz i2i Publishing ÂŁ16.95 300pp Agnes Kaposi begins her autobiography with a disarmingly simple statement. âI should have had a good start ...Read More
I have just watched John Barberâs youth opera The Selfish Giant at Garsington. And I canât remember when I last heard a new opera â for any age-group – which gave me such unalloyed pleasur...Read More
I Solomon, Great Hall, Bartâs Hospital Quatuor pour la fin du temps, St Paulâs 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 âWeâre in for ninety minutes of heaven, in this Mecca of live music!â This is the first night of the Live Proms, and Katie Derham is in Radio 3 ...Read More
Rule Britannia – and how the Tory media have capitalised on it By Michael Church From the Independent, 26.8.20 You couldnât make it up. First the chronology. On Sunday, in what seemed like a k...Read More
Itâs no surprise that classical music should come last in the governmentâs list of priorities for resuscitation. Itâs also no surprise that John Gilhooly, boss of the Wigmore Hall, should be the...Read More
The First BBC Prom Radio 3 Well, here we are, with the inevitable promotional hype about these Proms-as-never-before. âNothing stops this great festivalâ 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