Today, I’m off to the Wigmore Hall to hear a new English-language translation, by Jeremy Sams, of Schubert’s Winterreise, performed by Roderick Williams and Christopher Glynn. I was fortunate enough to hear this at the Ryedale Festival in July, and can’t wait to listen again – it’s an astonishing piece
When I was still an undergraduate, I remember sitting with several of my fellow students discussing their recent holidays. One of them had been on a trip with their family to a country rich in ancient buildings, early signs of Christianity, and traces of times past. The guide leading them
A few years ago, a new colleague joined the place where I was working. We got on extremely well, found that we had much to talk about, and would often visit each other’s homes for dinner after work. Because we both loved music, we started talking about the kinds of
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
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
