#ClassicalDiscussion Ten of your early classical music discoveries, from your first year or two of exploring what's out there... 🤔😉💙

Fact: the arts industries are far too frequently guilty of *appalling* HR practices … more news from me on this later in the year. Don’t kid (y)ourselves that everyone’s nice & generous & caring. Regular behaviours range from sloppy carelessness to deliberate malice. #callitout

My 2 fave quotes on doing many things: “Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, / Or what's a heaven for?👆🏻” & (slightly out of context) “Sure, he that made us with such large discourse, / Looking before & after, gave us not / That capability … / To fust in us unused 🌈 ”

Yes! 🙌 🌈

I love this, via a music education friend on Facebook #LondonPride #CityofDreams

The news that Oxford Brookes is closing its Music Department is terribly, terribly sad. A screed📜 (1/11)

Much needed 🎵Perth Theatre and Concert Hall for James Bond by 🕯️ 5 ⭐️ vocals: epic stylistic range Ben Purkiss; Leah Barbara West gave us Patti Lupone’s Bond girl; Charlotte Fights has notes Adele only dreams of. 2 ⭐️ staging. 3 ⭐️ 12-piece (could be 4 ⭐️ if led by 🎹 at front rather than click)

How perfect and fitting that #davidmarsland National Theatre’s Stage Manager extraordinaire is name checked by Mark Gatiss 💙 in his Olivier Awards Best Actor acceptance speech. David is truly a “national” treasure. I adore the man. 💜

Definite imminent addition to my rapidly expanding ‘poetry in translation’ section! 🇬🇧 🇮🇹

🎭 💭 from 🔥 conference on slavery & reparations run by Dr Nathaniel Adam Tobias C———: • who will write Brechtian biodrama of Elizabeth Heyrick (see 12:00) as activist + listener? • Play: Act 1 = 1807, with reparations done properly at that time; Act 2 = counterfactual 2024 x.com/mr_raitt/statu…

Really really great play, ‘English’. Simple set-up: a classroom of students preparing for Test Of English As a Foreign Language. Contains: unspeakable multitudes. Closed The RSC in Stratford tonight. Please go see Kiln Theatre in June and demand tour + West End transfer.

In Premier Inn new style Premier Plus room in Stratford-on-Avon. As we all know, a good night’s sleep guaranteed! Plus side: nice coffee. Minus side: no bath! This theatregoer ideally likes: 2 show day The RSC, beer in Dirty Duck, long bath to reflect. 🚿 ≠ 📚 or📱! 🛀 ftw 😎!

can you just imagine how difficult this is to sing. they're brilliant and make it look easy but holy cow sondheim is not easy to sing

A friend of mine asked me how unusual it was that The Great Gatsby won the only Tony Award for which it was nominated this year (Linda Cho’s costumes). I didn’t know, so of course I went on an obsessive research jag about it. Here is what I found: (Cont.)

What did you get up to this weekend? 🤯 For every Muslim, black or brown person you know, it was hell. Here's some key steps you can take as allies and professionals that can help. 🧵

R.I.P. Mitzi Gayner (1931-2024) singing as 'high as a kite' BBC Radio 3 '...and you will note, there's a lump in my throat when I speak of this wonderful guy.' (I used to listen a lot to 'South Pacific'). Thank you for your tribute to her Petroc Trelawny Sir Stanley Wells

Kind of funny how the classical music world is mad about showing that it's new, it's funky, it's not burdened by history; and then it turns out the way to get an instant sell-out for classical music in a vast venue is by bundling it with two blokes talking about...history.

It's so lovely to see people found this as moving as I did in this moment. A little PSA, though: PLEASE properly tag and credit creators if you're going to post their videos. A video like this represents so many hours of hard work. Thank you ❤️❤️ Update: please don't attack

Living this week in almost constant state of D minor 5/8! 🎵🎥⭐️🔥💔 Phenomenal live album Nicole Scherzinger TomHannah Updates David Thaxton The Jamie Lloyd Co Alan Williams Adam Fisher Andrew Lloyd Webber, Black & Hampton, and all involved. Greatest MT of late C20? open.spotify.com/album/4NatUeuL…