Codes of conduct
Not long ago the great conductors of classical music were general practitioners. They expected to give satisfactory interpretations of music…
Major to minor
Looking through the list of composers who celebrate some sort of anniversary in 2014 is a depressing business. I don’t…
Notes on a scandal
While the airwaves resonate with celebrations of Britten’s birth, I cannot help thinking that what was happening in Paris at…
Remembering John Tavener
When I first met John Tavener in 1977, he was still largely known for his dramatic cantata The Whale, which…
Singing under cardboard
To undertake a concert tour of New Zealand’s cathedrals at the moment is to be constantly reminded of the destructive…
Spaced out
Does London need another concert hall? Or, to put it more precisely, does London need another chamber music hall? The…
It ain’t half hot
Gossip that an orchestral player fainted while performing in the Albert Hall during the recent heatwave points to a strange…
Old friends
Mention of the 70th anniversary of Composer of the Week brings to mind a distinguished list of long-running programmes on…
French disconnection
One of the many cultural initiatives to have come out of France in the past 50 years — and therefore…
