Reviews of Prog Rock, Classical Music, Art Rock and Jazz
Saturday 1 November 2025 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester ***** Exploring Powerful Women in the Music of John Adams, with Astonishing Playing from Violinist Leila Josefowicz Leila Josefowicz and The Hallé © Sharyn Bellemakers Saturday evening’s concert at the Bridgewater Hall was the closing event of a three-day festival celebrating the work of the contemporary American composer …
Continue reading "The Hallé – John Adams Conducts the Chairman Dances – Live Review"
The Cover of The Overview by Steven Wilson, designed by Hajo Müller This is an analysis of the first half of Steven Wilson's eighth solo album, The Overview. For an introduction to the album, click here. Analysis of the second half of the album to follow. OBJECTS OUTLIVE US No Monkey’s Paw The opening describes …
Continue reading "Steven Wilson – The Overview – Album Review Part Two: ‘Objects Outlive us’"
Sunday 5 October 2025 RNCM, Manchester **** A tribute to the variety of sounds that strings make, and the human connections that music brings Manchester Collective Some concerts are about the music only, the sheer joy of music-making. Others have an external framework, which may be emotional, intellectual, musicolgical, or even spiritual; or a mixture …
Continue reading "Manchester Collective – Shaker Loops – Live Review"
Tuesday 1 October 2025 RNCM, Manchester Nearly 60 years since first playing in Manchester, Hammill is still a supreme communicator and a powerful performer **** 'The hits just keep on coming', quipped Peter Hammill early in his set at the RNCM in Manchester this evening. In 2013, when Guy Garvey interviewed Hammill for a documentary, …
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"
Sunday 29 June 2025 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester For a review of day one of the festival click here and for the opening night click here Musicians from the Hallé, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, RNCM, The Chorus of ENO and Hallé Choir. Image © Alex Burns Manchester Collective: The Body Electric The title of Sunday afternoon’s …
Continue reading "Manchester Classical 2025 Day Two – Live Review"
Saturday 28 June 2025 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester For a review of the opening night of Manchester Classical, click here and for day two click here Riot Ensemble. Image © Alex Burns RNCM Symphony Orchestra and Chorus - Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 2 ‘Resurrection’ Manchester has a long association with Mahler's music. His Symphony No. 1 …
Continue reading "Manchester Classical 2025 Day One – 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"
2024 was a stunning year for Prog Rock new and old The Cover of Living & Alive by Beatrix Players The Return of Beatrix Players Beatrix Players, led by Ms Amy Birks, made a welcome return to the progressive rock scene in late 2023 with the release of their album Living and Alive. In 2024, …
The cover of The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage (1974) from which 'A Louse is not a Home' is taken "They don't make 'em like this any more. Actually, they didn't at the time. Then, you were a serious concrete artist, or a sensitive singer-songwriter, or an all-out rocker, or a Progmeister, or whatever. …
Continue reading "Off the Beaten Track # 14: A Louse is not a Home by Peter Hammill"