Review: Gypsy Fire ‘Acoustic Spectacular’
I had little idea what to expect when turning up to St John the Evangelist church on a damp February evening for a concert that advertised itself “one of the most exciting performances imaginable”,...
View ArticleDemocratising Space: An Interview with Oliver Coates
Oliver Coates, ‘possibly the busiest and most popular cellist in contemporary music’, has collaborated with composers including Mira Calix, Jonny Greenwood and Mica Levi. He has also created an album...
View ArticleThe Bach Project: An Interview with Natalie Clein
Since winning the BBC Young Musician in 1994, cellist Natalie Clein has performed with eminent orchestras and conductors such as Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé, and was invited to join the BBC Radio 3...
View ArticleThe Sea and the Forest: An Interview with Swift and Lindop
Swift and Lindop are the UK’s leading contemporary horn and harp duo. Their debut EP, ‘The Forest’, inspired by the pair’s shared love of nature, demonstrates just how effective and complementary this...
View ArticleReview: ‘Shakespeare and Music’ concert
Forming part of Oxford Lieder Festival, mezzo-soprano Catherine Hopper and tenor John Mark Ainsley offered a vocal recital at the Holywell Music Room last week on the theme of ‘Shakespeare and Music’....
View ArticleReview: ‘Shakespeare and Music’ Study Day
When one thinks of William Shakespeare, music is not what usually springs to mind – Shakespeare is, after all, famed for his use of language, not sound. Nonetheless, since the late 17th century, over...
View ArticleReview: Nicola Benedetti & The Oxford Philharmonic
Violinist Nicola Benedetti achieves what so many classical musicians do not: she appeals to those who may otherwise never set foot in a concert hall. First catapulted into the limelight as 2004’s BBC...
View ArticleReview: Oxford University Philharmonia
2015 has seen the Nordic composers Jean Sibelius and Carl Nielsen dominate concert programmes across the UK. They both celebrated their 150th birthdays this year, along with the Russian composer...
View ArticleReview: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
At first glance, the programme for the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment’s latest visit to Oxford seemed a bit predictable. The great triumvirate of the late 18th-century German tradition – Haydn,...
View ArticleMusic, Activism, and Little Acts of Kindness: An interview with Beth Prior
Beth Prior is an exciting new songwriting talent whose music has been described as ‘what happens when Reggae, Folk, Dub and Ska meet’. Along with her 7-piece ‘Collective’ she will be performing in...
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