Reviews of Prog Rock, Classical Music, Art Rock and Jazz
Saturday 20 September 2025 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester **** A triumphant opening to the BBC Philharmonic's new season Violinist Augustin Hadelich with members of the BBC Philharmonic. Image © Chris Payne On Saturday evening, Manchester was plagued by heavy rain of almost biblical proportions, causing roads to flood; we saw a stranded car on the drive …
Continue reading "BBC Philharmonic Orchestra – Fountain of Youth – Live Review"
Friday 27 June 2025 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester For a review of day one click here and for day two click here Jonny Greenwood performs Reich with the Hallé The first Manchester Classical music festival took place two years ago, in June 2023. The festival won the RPS (Royal Philharmonic Society) 'Series and Events' award in …
Continue reading "Manchester Classical 2025 Opening Night – Live Review"
Saturday 5 October 2024 The Bridgewater Hall Manchester ***** A magical evening of virtuosity and merriment The BBC Philharmonic with Chief Conductor John Storgårds. Image © Chris Payne. Last Saturday's concert by the BBC Philharmonic took magic as its theme from Stravinsky's 1911 ballet Petrushka, in which a magician brings the puppets to life. But …
Continue reading "The BBC Philharmonic – Mischief and Magic – Live Review"
Friday 10 May 2024 Bridgewater Hall Manchester ***** A musical art installation brings 'a stillness that moves' to Manchester Manchester Collective first appeared on this Blog in December 2019, a review of a concert at The White Hotel in Salford, a small and (on the evening of the performance) very cold venue. Since then, this …
Continue reading "Manchester Collective: Rothko Chapel – Live Review"