Theme and variations for Clarinet and Piano ‘You should learn his Theme and Variations’, said my teacher. I was never a fan of variations, but Françaix’s take on the form changed my view of them quite a bit. (I also,

In the year 325, theological experts and ecclesiastical dignitaries met in the city of Nicaea — presently defined as the Turkish city of Iznik — and discussed the exact wording for a profession of faith or creed to be used

One of the most enjoyable musical experiences of my life has been performing Sir Michael Tippett’s extraordinary oratorio A Child of our Time with the chorus and orchestra of Clare College, Cambridge. Famous especially because of the series of five

Bach : Saint John PassionPart I: Chorale: Herr, unser Herrscher (Chorus) I am for the first time in my life living with Handel. I lived with Bach earlier this year, when I was involved in performances of his St John

At the Van Cliburn Piano Competition Four years ago, when the Van Cliburn Piano Competition was first presented on webcast, I found myself glued to my laptop for weeks, following what I considered one of the most exciting events in

According to the apostle Luke, when the angels announced the birth of Christ to the Shepherds, they sang a hymn beginning with the words “Gloria in excelsis Deo” (Glory to God in the highest.) In time, additional verses were added

‘Writing about music is like dancing about architecture’. These were the words of Miles Davis. Or was it Elvis Costello? Perhaps it was Thelonius Monk… Or Frank Zappa? Regardless of who said these words (maybe they all uttered it at

The atmosphere was electric! We were at Paris’s Palais Garnier to attend a ballet performance just five days before the one-hundredth anniversary of the riot surrounding the premiere of Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring in May of 1913. To top