Lotti
@lottinewstead.bsky.social
Classical musician, teaching singing in Bristol, UK. Super-keen to make classical music accessible to everyone. I run Music Appreciation sessions online all year round - always happy to welcome curious new explorers.
www.charlottenewstead.co.uk
www.charlottenewstead.co.uk
Pinned
Lotti
@lottinewstead.bsky.social
· Aug 27
Discover classical music, the great composers and some social history all at the same time from the comfort of your own sitting room.
Why not try something new this autumn and get a whole new playlist into the bargain?
Why not try something new this autumn and get a whole new playlist into the bargain?
One more full week before Christmas. Starting with something gentle and restorative, catching my breath so to speak.
Shostakovich’s 2nd Piano concerto, 2nd movement. He wrote it as a gift for his son to play.
youtu.be/1DFqVqApms8?...
Shostakovich’s 2nd Piano concerto, 2nd movement. He wrote it as a gift for his son to play.
youtu.be/1DFqVqApms8?...
Shostakovich Piano Concerto No 2: 2nd Movement Andante (Mariinsky Theater Orchestra)
YouTube video by Georgios Magklaras
youtu.be
December 15, 2025 at 7:46 AM
One more full week before Christmas. Starting with something gentle and restorative, catching my breath so to speak.
Shostakovich’s 2nd Piano concerto, 2nd movement. He wrote it as a gift for his son to play.
youtu.be/1DFqVqApms8?...
Shostakovich’s 2nd Piano concerto, 2nd movement. He wrote it as a gift for his son to play.
youtu.be/1DFqVqApms8?...
Concert day of baroque loveliness, somewhere near Southampton. Thank God for satnav!
December 13, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Concert day of baroque loveliness, somewhere near Southampton. Thank God for satnav!
My offering to those of you who, like me, at this time of year, are longing for more sunshine.
The glorious sunrise that forms the introduction to this aria from Haydn Creation will have to suffice for now.
youtu.be/Mc4DORlzLY4?...
The glorious sunrise that forms the introduction to this aria from Haydn Creation will have to suffice for now.
youtu.be/Mc4DORlzLY4?...
The Creation, Hob.XXI:2: Pt. 1, In Splendor Bright is Rising Now
YouTube video by Jeremy Ovenden - Topic
youtu.be
December 12, 2025 at 7:50 AM
My offering to those of you who, like me, at this time of year, are longing for more sunshine.
The glorious sunrise that forms the introduction to this aria from Haydn Creation will have to suffice for now.
youtu.be/Mc4DORlzLY4?...
The glorious sunrise that forms the introduction to this aria from Haydn Creation will have to suffice for now.
youtu.be/Mc4DORlzLY4?...
I haven’t shared any music by Amy Beach for a while. Here’s a gorgeous, peaceful excerpt from her Piano Quintet.
She was a musical pioneer, born in 1867 and the first woman in America to compose and publish a symphony.
youtu.be/9VEYkzQPWBY?...
She was a musical pioneer, born in 1867 and the first woman in America to compose and publish a symphony.
youtu.be/9VEYkzQPWBY?...
AMY BEACH Piano Quintet Op. 67, mvt. II / TMC Fellows
YouTube video by Tanglewood Music Center
youtu.be
December 11, 2025 at 7:16 AM
I haven’t shared any music by Amy Beach for a while. Here’s a gorgeous, peaceful excerpt from her Piano Quintet.
She was a musical pioneer, born in 1867 and the first woman in America to compose and publish a symphony.
youtu.be/9VEYkzQPWBY?...
She was a musical pioneer, born in 1867 and the first woman in America to compose and publish a symphony.
youtu.be/9VEYkzQPWBY?...
Today’s musical wonder - JS Bach’s A mi violin concerto (and Monday’s Music Appreciation)
Hopefully on a Saturday you have time for it all (13 mins) but if not, try:
0’00 1st mvmt for drive & energy
4’04 2nd mvmt for beauty & stillness
9’23 3rd mvmt for irresistible dance
youtu.be/VSwLeKWKtis?...
Hopefully on a Saturday you have time for it all (13 mins) but if not, try:
0’00 1st mvmt for drive & energy
4’04 2nd mvmt for beauty & stillness
9’23 3rd mvmt for irresistible dance
youtu.be/VSwLeKWKtis?...
Bach - Violin Concerto in A minor BWV 1041 - Sato | Netherlands Bach Society
YouTube video by Netherlands Bach Society
youtu.be
December 6, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Today’s musical wonder - JS Bach’s A mi violin concerto (and Monday’s Music Appreciation)
Hopefully on a Saturday you have time for it all (13 mins) but if not, try:
0’00 1st mvmt for drive & energy
4’04 2nd mvmt for beauty & stillness
9’23 3rd mvmt for irresistible dance
youtu.be/VSwLeKWKtis?...
Hopefully on a Saturday you have time for it all (13 mins) but if not, try:
0’00 1st mvmt for drive & energy
4’04 2nd mvmt for beauty & stillness
9’23 3rd mvmt for irresistible dance
youtu.be/VSwLeKWKtis?...
If you haven’t yet succumbed to Spotify, but still prefer CDs, does that make your listening age 106? Asking for a friend.
December 4, 2025 at 7:01 PM
If you haven’t yet succumbed to Spotify, but still prefer CDs, does that make your listening age 106? Asking for a friend.
No matter how stressed you are, if you press play on this for even one minute, you will feel the tension drop from your shoulders. Utter magic.
Chopin’s 2nd piano concerto.
youtu.be/nhZm-vr4QZo?...
Chopin’s 2nd piano concerto.
youtu.be/nhZm-vr4QZo?...
Frederic Chopin - Piano Concerto N? 2. II Larghetto Arthur Rubinstein, piano (23)
YouTube video by Aleksandra Pavlović
youtu.be
December 3, 2025 at 7:18 AM
No matter how stressed you are, if you press play on this for even one minute, you will feel the tension drop from your shoulders. Utter magic.
Chopin’s 2nd piano concerto.
youtu.be/nhZm-vr4QZo?...
Chopin’s 2nd piano concerto.
youtu.be/nhZm-vr4QZo?...
We don’t often listen to the bassoon as a soloist do we? Here’s one of the best - the gorgeous second movement from Mozart’s concerto. It’s possible he wrote no fewer than five concertos for the instrument, but only this one survives.
youtu.be/AJZBfdBeAJk?...
youtu.be/AJZBfdBeAJk?...
Mozart: Bassoon Concerto in B-flat major K 191, 2nd movement (Andante ma Adagio)
YouTube video by Laura Polverelli-Aligi Voltan
youtu.be
December 2, 2025 at 7:40 AM
We don’t often listen to the bassoon as a soloist do we? Here’s one of the best - the gorgeous second movement from Mozart’s concerto. It’s possible he wrote no fewer than five concertos for the instrument, but only this one survives.
youtu.be/AJZBfdBeAJk?...
youtu.be/AJZBfdBeAJk?...
Reposted by Lotti
Let silly hacks go and work on their next bit of Westminster gossip. THIS is the main news from that conference. The clearest indication yet, right from the top.
👏🏽"We must all now confront the reality that the Brexit deal significantly hurt our economy. We have to keep reducing frictions. We have to keep moving towards a closer relationship with the EU. And we have to be grown up about it. To accept that it will require trade-offs."👏🏽
Music to my ears. ~AA
Music to my ears. ~AA
December 1, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Let silly hacks go and work on their next bit of Westminster gossip. THIS is the main news from that conference. The clearest indication yet, right from the top.
Did I ever mention that singing is good for you?!? 😉
Make it your 2026 New Year’s resolution to join a choir and start singing. The benefits are enormous.
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
Make it your 2026 New Year’s resolution to join a choir and start singing. The benefits are enormous.
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
Why singing is surprisingly good for your health
From boosting the brain to reducing pain, joining others in song can bring some wide-ranging benefits.
www.bbc.com
December 1, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Did I ever mention that singing is good for you?!? 😉
Make it your 2026 New Year’s resolution to join a choir and start singing. The benefits are enormous.
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
Make it your 2026 New Year’s resolution to join a choir and start singing. The benefits are enormous.
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
I’d forgotten how much I adore this piece. Bach’s D minor concerto was obviously written for harpsichord not piano, but as a teenager, I had a recording with piano and it remains a favourite.
I’m mesmerised by Polina Osetinskaya’s hands in this performance!
youtu.be/osg_WmeLxQk?...
I’m mesmerised by Polina Osetinskaya’s hands in this performance!
youtu.be/osg_WmeLxQk?...
J.S.Bach Concerto no.1 in D Minor BWV 1052 Polina Osetinskaya Anton Gakkel
YouTube video by Maxim Novikov
youtu.be
November 30, 2025 at 8:49 AM
I’d forgotten how much I adore this piece. Bach’s D minor concerto was obviously written for harpsichord not piano, but as a teenager, I had a recording with piano and it remains a favourite.
I’m mesmerised by Polina Osetinskaya’s hands in this performance!
youtu.be/osg_WmeLxQk?...
I’m mesmerised by Polina Osetinskaya’s hands in this performance!
youtu.be/osg_WmeLxQk?...
Reposted by Lotti
Wow - this guy must be really, REALLY bad with money if an extra £208 per month will “ruin” his retirement.
Let’s take a look at his situation based on what he told the @Telegraph
Because this does NOT add up!
No, this is not a “poor pensioner” scrabbling around for pennies…
🧵1/9
Let’s take a look at his situation based on what he told the @Telegraph
Because this does NOT add up!
No, this is not a “poor pensioner” scrabbling around for pennies…
🧵1/9
November 29, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Wow - this guy must be really, REALLY bad with money if an extra £208 per month will “ruin” his retirement.
Let’s take a look at his situation based on what he told the @Telegraph
Because this does NOT add up!
No, this is not a “poor pensioner” scrabbling around for pennies…
🧵1/9
Let’s take a look at his situation based on what he told the @Telegraph
Because this does NOT add up!
No, this is not a “poor pensioner” scrabbling around for pennies…
🧵1/9
On Tues, our evening Explore group will be listening to Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an exhibition. What a glorious kaleidoscope of colour & ideas.
Here’s the whole thing - if you’re in a hurry, skip to the Great Gate of Kiev at 28’56, for a magisterial start to your w/e.
youtu.be/rH_Rsl7fjok?...
Here’s the whole thing - if you’re in a hurry, skip to the Great Gate of Kiev at 28’56, for a magisterial start to your w/e.
youtu.be/rH_Rsl7fjok?...
Evgeny Kissin: Mussorgski - Pictures at an Exhibition
YouTube video by Allegro Films
youtu.be
November 29, 2025 at 7:48 AM
On Tues, our evening Explore group will be listening to Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an exhibition. What a glorious kaleidoscope of colour & ideas.
Here’s the whole thing - if you’re in a hurry, skip to the Great Gate of Kiev at 28’56, for a magisterial start to your w/e.
youtu.be/rH_Rsl7fjok?...
Here’s the whole thing - if you’re in a hurry, skip to the Great Gate of Kiev at 28’56, for a magisterial start to your w/e.
youtu.be/rH_Rsl7fjok?...
Reposted by Lotti
Just 10k signatures needed now
Just 13k more signatures and the call for a public inquiry into Russian interference has to be debate in Parliament
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
Petition: Call a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy
We are concerned about reported efforts from Russia to influence democracy in the US, UK, Europe and elsewhere. We believe we must establish the depth and breadth of possible Russian influence campaig...
petition.parliament.uk
November 28, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Just 10k signatures needed now
How about some Florence Price for Wednesday in the form of her piano quintet?
Listen to it all if you have time, or the still, spacious andante at 16’30 followed by the joyous Juba at 22’30.
youtu.be/rhKWT9I5Cqc?...
Listen to it all if you have time, or the still, spacious andante at 16’30 followed by the joyous Juba at 22’30.
youtu.be/rhKWT9I5Cqc?...
Florence Price: Piano Quintet in A minor - Kit Armstrong & Soloists of Lucerne Festival Orchestra
YouTube video by Echo Cheng
youtu.be
November 26, 2025 at 6:55 AM
How about some Florence Price for Wednesday in the form of her piano quintet?
Listen to it all if you have time, or the still, spacious andante at 16’30 followed by the joyous Juba at 22’30.
youtu.be/rhKWT9I5Cqc?...
Listen to it all if you have time, or the still, spacious andante at 16’30 followed by the joyous Juba at 22’30.
youtu.be/rhKWT9I5Cqc?...
I’m starting Tuesday with Dvorak, his heart-felt cello concerto.
He was emphatic about its final shape, writing to his publisher, “I give you my work only if you will promise me that no one … shall make any alteration in it without my knowledge and permission.”
youtu.be/wBFeeOt_SGY?...
He was emphatic about its final shape, writing to his publisher, “I give you my work only if you will promise me that no one … shall make any alteration in it without my knowledge and permission.”
youtu.be/wBFeeOt_SGY?...
Dvořák: Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 | Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich & Anastasia Kobekina
YouTube video by DW Classical Music
youtu.be
November 25, 2025 at 6:58 AM
I’m starting Tuesday with Dvorak, his heart-felt cello concerto.
He was emphatic about its final shape, writing to his publisher, “I give you my work only if you will promise me that no one … shall make any alteration in it without my knowledge and permission.”
youtu.be/wBFeeOt_SGY?...
He was emphatic about its final shape, writing to his publisher, “I give you my work only if you will promise me that no one … shall make any alteration in it without my knowledge and permission.”
youtu.be/wBFeeOt_SGY?...
Monday morning joy to get you up and at ‘em!
Rejoice greatly from Handel’s Messiah.
youtu.be/z1xlYIoekE8?...
Rejoice greatly from Handel’s Messiah.
youtu.be/z1xlYIoekE8?...
Lynne Dawson sings "Rejoice greatly, o daughter of Zion"
YouTube video by inwit
youtu.be
November 24, 2025 at 6:41 AM
Monday morning joy to get you up and at ‘em!
Rejoice greatly from Handel’s Messiah.
youtu.be/z1xlYIoekE8?...
Rejoice greatly from Handel’s Messiah.
youtu.be/z1xlYIoekE8?...
A snippet from today’s topic - De Torrente from Handel’s Dixit Dominus. It talks of drinking deeply from the refreshing stream in the context of tiredness & adversity. It’s so beautiful - a perfect way to start the w/e.
To put it more succinctly - this is stunning. Listen!
youtu.be/9y_God9vNLY?...
To put it more succinctly - this is stunning. Listen!
youtu.be/9y_God9vNLY?...
Händel: Dixit Dominus: De torrente in via bibet - Gardiner*
YouTube video by greatclassicrecords
youtu.be
November 22, 2025 at 7:06 AM
A snippet from today’s topic - De Torrente from Handel’s Dixit Dominus. It talks of drinking deeply from the refreshing stream in the context of tiredness & adversity. It’s so beautiful - a perfect way to start the w/e.
To put it more succinctly - this is stunning. Listen!
youtu.be/9y_God9vNLY?...
To put it more succinctly - this is stunning. Listen!
youtu.be/9y_God9vNLY?...
Reposted by Lotti
Word of the day is ‘quockerwodger’ (19th century): a puppet politician whose strings are pulled entirely by someone else.
November 21, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Word of the day is ‘quockerwodger’ (19th century): a puppet politician whose strings are pulled entirely by someone else.
I went to see The Choral today. What a lovely film! It is very moving and, of course, I adore the music of Elgar’s Gerontius. Big recommend.
November 16, 2025 at 8:29 PM
I went to see The Choral today. What a lovely film! It is very moving and, of course, I adore the music of Elgar’s Gerontius. Big recommend.
Purcell’s Fantasia on one note - gentle contemplative music for Sunday morning.
The tenor line literally holds on to a single note throughout. (I like the suggestion that Purcell had a mate who couldn’t really play, so this allowed him to take part.😉)
youtu.be/GGwQo0qlG38?...
The tenor line literally holds on to a single note throughout. (I like the suggestion that Purcell had a mate who couldn’t really play, so this allowed him to take part.😉)
youtu.be/GGwQo0qlG38?...
Purcell: Fantasia Upon One Note (Jordi Savall)
YouTube video by dialsforsilhouettes
youtu.be
November 16, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Purcell’s Fantasia on one note - gentle contemplative music for Sunday morning.
The tenor line literally holds on to a single note throughout. (I like the suggestion that Purcell had a mate who couldn’t really play, so this allowed him to take part.😉)
youtu.be/GGwQo0qlG38?...
The tenor line literally holds on to a single note throughout. (I like the suggestion that Purcell had a mate who couldn’t really play, so this allowed him to take part.😉)
youtu.be/GGwQo0qlG38?...
Golly. First Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht earlier in the week and today, Smetana’s Piano Trio. Music appreciation classes where almost nobody knew the music in advance, and everyone ended up incredibly moved and emotional. I don’t think we’ve had so many tears since we met during lockdown.
November 15, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Golly. First Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht earlier in the week and today, Smetana’s Piano Trio. Music appreciation classes where almost nobody knew the music in advance, and everyone ended up incredibly moved and emotional. I don’t think we’ve had so many tears since we met during lockdown.
Smetana’s Piano Trio was written soon after he lost his 4 year old daughter. In a devastating period of around 5 years, he lost 3 daughters and his wife.
The highly emotional Trio reflects his pain and anger and deep anguish. It’s the subject of today’s music appreciation.
youtu.be/iBIWxRBtT44?...
The highly emotional Trio reflects his pain and anger and deep anguish. It’s the subject of today’s music appreciation.
youtu.be/iBIWxRBtT44?...
B. Smetana: Piano Trio in G Minor, op. 15, Trio Bohémo
YouTube video by Trio Bohémo
youtu.be
November 15, 2025 at 6:57 AM
Smetana’s Piano Trio was written soon after he lost his 4 year old daughter. In a devastating period of around 5 years, he lost 3 daughters and his wife.
The highly emotional Trio reflects his pain and anger and deep anguish. It’s the subject of today’s music appreciation.
youtu.be/iBIWxRBtT44?...
The highly emotional Trio reflects his pain and anger and deep anguish. It’s the subject of today’s music appreciation.
youtu.be/iBIWxRBtT44?...
New season for Clevedon Adult Studies has dropped! I’m talking about Violin Concertos on 21st March - what a gorgeous day this will be!! Bach, Mendelssohn, Bruch, Korngold and a zillion others.
Would love to see you there!
casaclevedon.org.uk/events/event...
Would love to see you there!
casaclevedon.org.uk/events/event...
Virtuoso! – Clevedon Adult Studies Association
casaclevedon.org.uk
November 13, 2025 at 10:32 AM
New season for Clevedon Adult Studies has dropped! I’m talking about Violin Concertos on 21st March - what a gorgeous day this will be!! Bach, Mendelssohn, Bruch, Korngold and a zillion others.
Would love to see you there!
casaclevedon.org.uk/events/event...
Would love to see you there!
casaclevedon.org.uk/events/event...