Coming up on Friday: Lara Melda and I tell the story of Myra Hess in the National Gallery, in, what else, a lunchtime concert. We will be in the same space she used, Room 36! Admission freeeeee. Please join us!

www.nationalgallery.org.uk/events/myra-...

TONIGHT! Hear Myra Hess play, as the Musical Museum and the Player Piano Group hold an evening devoted to her Duo-Art piano rolls.
www.musicalmuseum.co.uk/event/myra-h...

Here's Claudia Pritchard's write up of the Critics' Circle Music Awards 2025:
criticscircle.org.uk/music-awards...

Metronome markings: blessing or curse?

I went to the new Tosca at Covent Garden and this is what I thought.

engelsbergideas.com/reviews/an-u...

Sadiq Khan on Farage’s plan today -
“Thousands of Londoners have indefinite leave to remain. They have legal rights and are our friends, neighbours and colleagues, contributing hugely to our city.

“Threatening to deport people living and working here legally is unacceptable.”

I sing my own words instead. “I live Edward Elgar, he’s the man for me…”

Thank you!

Update on my article re Ilan Volkov: it is in the printed paper today, but very heavily cut, so please read the online one if you can.

This hurts my soul - my heart axtuslly ached reading this, thinking of the future generations of knowledge that will never be, of students unable to specialise in languages, pursue music, read Latin, take up English literature, become an Art critic, write history. This is how cultures wither & die.

I’m sitting just below you!

⭐ Great to see that the TUC Congress has passed a Europe motion highlighting the importance of easing mobility for touring artists.

🇪🇺 The motion highlight the significance of UK trade with the EU, and the potential for this to boost UK economic growth.

https://bit.ly/4mdSONY

Wondering if I could become a tube driver, double my income and reduce my working hours to the manageable level of 35 hrs a week. I’ve left it a little bit late, but am quite good at tunnel vision.

I'm not sure Kent was even this bad in my 80s-90s childhood (and I can tell you, it was pretty bad). The trajectory is absolutely chilling.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The National Gallery is to embark on the “largest transformation” in its 200 years, with the creation of an entirely new wing.

Mixed messaging: the Southbank Centre ushers leaping on anyone who so much as looks at their screen in the RFH when the only programme available to audiences is via a QR Code… on their phone.

I am one of the growing number of 400 signatories to this letter. It's deeply concerning that the BBC is limiting public access & exploratory academic research into its rich historical archives. The WAC was a bastion of the BBC's public service remit & must remain so!
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

Doing an actual National Gallery lunchtime concert with the wonderful Lara Melda! 10 October, anniversary of Myra Hess’s first concert there in 1939.
www.nationalgallery.org.uk/events/myra-...

Tak🙏!

Just been live on Danish Radio, talking Proms, rather to the amusement of Tom who’s the one who actually speaks Danish.

Ignore the haters. London is the 🐐

‘Ian Penman is preoccupied not by Satie’s influence on other composers, or even solely by his aesthetic, but by his whole personality, his entire way of being in the world.’

@jonathancoe.bsky.social reads 𝘌𝘳𝘪𝘬 𝘚𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘗𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Happy multiple birthdays!

Cosi is listening to Schumann Lieder…