Reviews of Prog Rock, Classical Music, Art Rock and Jazz
Manchester was the place to be for superb performances in 2025 The Year in Classical Music Sometimes going abroad reminds you how good things are at home. In the spring of 2025, I went to the Shostakovich Festival in Leipzig, featuring world-class performers such as the Gewandhausorchester and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. So it was …
Friday 22 August 2025 Mahler and the Folksong - songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn, and traditional folksongs arr. Gemma Bass The Quire, Southwell Minster This took place in the beautiful and intimate surroundings of the Quire in Southwell Minster. The audience sat in the choir stalls while the musicians performed on the steps to the Chancel. …
A Memorable Year for Music: Highlights from Manchester and Beyond The BBC Philharmonic with Chief Conductor John Storgårds. Image © Chris Payne. Last year marked the 30th anniversary of the death of my father, John Charles Holmes, under whose benign and loving influence I developed a lifelong passion for music. He was the choirmaster and …
Continue reading "Review of the Year – 2024 – Classical Music"
Monday 26 August 2024 09.00 Chapter House, Southwell MinsterGemma Bass (violin), Graham South (trumpet, flugelhorn), Judy Louie Brown (mezzo soprano), Marcus Farnsworth (baritone) The stalls and canopies of the Chapter House of Southwell Minster. Source Wikimedia Commons At 9.00 on a quiet Bank Holiday Monday, a small crowd of musical pilgrims journeyed to the Chapter …
Sunday 25 August 2024 7.30 pm The Nave Southwell MinsterAlison Rose (soprano), Susan Bickley (mezzo soprano), Mark Padmore (tenor), Frederick Long (bass-baritone), Festival Voices, Festival Sinfonia, Marcus Farnsworth (conductor) This was a special concert, celebrating ten successful years of the Southwell Music Festival. Before the concert began in a packed Nave, the Dean of Southwell, …
Saturday 24 August 2024 English Song Recital with Mark Padmore Mark Padmore (tenor) and Libby Burgess (piano)1.00 pm The Nave Southwell Minster Mark Padmore and Libby Burgess. Image © Joe Briggs-Price Festival Director Marcus Farnsworth announced this concert, saying it was a 'great privilege' to introduce Mark Padmore, the Festival's Artist in Residence, and pianist …
Friday 23 August 2024 Martin Bussey & Anthony Pinching on 'A Brother Abroad' Martin Bussey (composer) and Anthony Pinching (librettist)3.00 pm The Marquee, Palace Gardens Composer and conductor Martin Bussey Prof Anthony Pinching is the Director of Pinner Music Festival and a former clinical immunologist and academic. He wrote the libretto for A Brother Abroad …
Southwell Minster, where most of the events take place Southwell is a market town in the heart of Nottinghamshire, with a grade I listed cathedral, Southwell Minster. For the last ten years, the town has been the home of Southwell Music Festival, founded by the Artistic Director, Marcus Farnsworth. Marcus Farnsworth. Image © Andy Staples …
Continue reading "Southwell Music Festival 2024: Overview of the Tenth Anniversary Festival"