Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) There was a riot in Paris one hundred years ago yesterday, 29th May, 1913. The audience at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées were shocked, outraged and excited when Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe company gave Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring…
Living in England, a small island North of the land mass known as Europe and, of course, a part of Europe, I am lucky enough to be able to see the sea without travelling very far. Nine miles actually. After…
It’s the Whitsun Holiday weekend here in the United Kingdom where we all used to dance round the Maypole, hold fetes and parades, watch those jolly Morris Men and generally have a grand old time – these events are rarer…
I’m off to celebrate someone’s significant birthday today – it feels like I’ve known him for a very long time. It was worth it, I think. Happy Birthday, Henry!
Australian Opera’s production of The Pirates of Penzance I used to hate Gilbert and Sullivan thinking it the worse kind of English middle class cosiness but then that was when I was a typical bolshy adolescent, passionate about the operas of…
There’s a rather sad-looking terracotta pot outside my back door. It was supposed to have been filled with the dramatic reds and yellows of my tulip bulbs, Flaming Parrot. It was the slugs that did it. Last year was slug…
Yang Chengfu (1883-1936) A friend sent me a video made by the German artist and taichi writer Matthias Wagner which has haunted me for days now. Herr Wagner has made pencil drawings of old photographs of one of China’s legendary…
One of the wonders of living in England is when May comes round and our ancient woods burst into colour. Not just any colour though. Over the last couple of weeks our woodlands have turned blue. However you have to…
I’m saying farewell to Joseph Joachim Raff this weekend (see Friday’s blog) by listening to his last symphony, Symphony No. 10 Op. 213, “To Autumn Time” and you can hear the whole piece by scrolling down this page to hear…