Chances are you haven’t managed to make it through the web around classical music in the last week or so without coming across something about THAT Guardian article. As a colleague pointed out to me earlier this week, there’s nothing like a critical opinion piece to get the community in
On Thursday night, I went to the Young Vic to see Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train, a play by Stephen Adly Guirgis about two convicts in Rikers. One has been convicted of killing eight people; the other, still a teenager, shot a guy without the intention of killing him, as
I went to a fantastic musical in Chichester on Saturday. It’s called Flowers for Mrs Harris, based on a novel by Paul Gallico, with the book and music by Rachel Wagstaff and Richard Taylor. It tells the tale of London charwoman Ada Harris, who falls in love with… no, not
Let’s try a little experiment. First up, picture any of the following scenarios. Standing in the queue at the supermarket. Travelling in a train carriage. Buckled into a translatlantic flight (you choose the class) Sitting in the cinema, popcorn on your lap Driving along the A1 Everyone got their scenario
OK, I’ll be honest. Sometimes I sit here on a Sunday morning, wondering what on earth I’m going to write about, and end up with something fairly speedily prepared and whimsical; and other times, I have a thought in my head from the middle of the week, which gradually bobs
This week has been a real treat for me – because not once, but twice, I’ve had the pleasure of attending live theatrical productions. When I win the lottery (which will be a particularly amazing day, because I haven’t bought a ticket for years), and no longer have to work
On Wednesday night, I went to a whole new kind of event for me. It was very exciting, and I’m ashamed to say, the first time I had ever seen one live. I went to the Royal Festival Hall to hear Neil Gaiman read from his newly-published Norse Mythology. My
In the height of summer, with the Proms and the Edinburgh Festival in full swing and thousands of people attending music events (classical and otherwise) all over the UK, it seems boring in the extreme to have to write about recent ‘death of the concert audience’ remarks. But a couple of
Come on, admit it: you watched it too, didn’t you? It wasn’t just me sitting slack-jawed with amazement at Germany’s extraordinary head creation. A considerable number of us were in front of TV screens with friends and family, gesticulating frantically with our wine glasses and jotting down our own unique
On 1st September, a little over a week from now, I’ll be going to my first Prom of the season. Yes, this might seem a little late… but, being somewhat hermit-like by nature – and particularly in the summer, when I’m tired and in need of a rest – it
