With every passing day, we’ve grown more aware of the plight of performing musicians, composers, and organisations such as concert halls and festivals. But today we turn to a different part of the musical world – one with a very particular skill set, which helps to ensure that there can
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
From 1998 until 2012, I had the great privilege and pleasure of being involved with a music summer school for amateur pianists, singers, conductors and composers. I arrived in that first year a terrified fifteen-year-old, convinced everyone on the Young Pianists course would be better than me and not knowing
One of the things I enjoy most about my freelancing lifestyle is the sheer variety of repertoire that I’m able to engage with on a week-to-week basis. I might be teaching Schubert Lieder in one place; late nineteenth-century chamber music somewhere else; write programme notes on the music of James
Last night, as I was making my way home from a day at the British Library, and attempting to exit the station path onto the pavement home, a teenager began peddling towards me on his bicycle. He was aiming for the space between two bollards on the path, so that
One year to this very day, 5th July, I woke up to find myself unemployed, unaffiliated, and absolutely delighted about it. Last Independence Day (talk about appropriate), I celebrated my last day of working at the Royal College of Music, and stepped out into the unknown to try my hand
A couple of days ago, on my way to the British Library, I bumped into a friend who asked me what I was currently working on. Enthusiastic, as usual, to share stories about recent projects, I began reeling off some of the jobs currently on my to-do list: CD notes
As the university and school terms have finally come to an end, and lecture planning can go on hold for a little while at least, I’ve spent the majority of this week reading up for various sets of concert programme and CD notes in the comfort of the British Library.
A few years ago, I was putting on a little devised music theatre piece with a friend of mine for some primary school children. She suggested that, among the various well-known songs that we might include, a prime candidate was ‘Popular’ from the show Wicked. It’s a great song, catchy
This week, I’m delighted to be able to write about something that, like so many interesting things, I came across completely by chance whilst at the British Library. I’ve been reading through back issues of The Stage magazine from the 1950s, and in hunting down reviews, my eye was caught
