Fantastic workshop from The Sixteen today singing works by William Byrd, Amy Beach and Charles Wood + expert sessions on vocal health and nutrition. Huge thanks to Eamonn Dougan, Charlotte Mobbs, Julie Cooper and Freddie Ingles

A wonderful celebration of Dame Myra Hess at @wigmore-hall.org.uk on whose stage she built her career. @jessicaduchen.bsky.social was in conversation with Nigel Hess treating us to recordings of the great pianist, a film of her National Gallery concerts, and stories from her superb new biography

A long weekend in Leamington Spa for the Music Teachers' Association Conference including choral workshops with Sir John Rutter and BBC Get Singing, dinner with the London Vegetable Orchestra, and seeing the first-class music facilities enjoyed by students at Warwick Schools Foundation

David Dimbleby and I enjoyed bread, soup and wine at tonight's immersive candlelight performance of Byrd's Mass for 5 Voices from @thegesualdosix.bsky.social & viol consort Fretwork, recreating the secretive Catholic worship of sixteenth-century England

Lunchtime organ recital from Robbie Carroll at Rochester Cathedral including some Holst, Elgar and [honouring today's date] the theme from Star Wars

A fine performance of Dvorak Symphony 7 (perhaps his best?!) from the LPO and Lidiya Yankovskaya. The work was commissioned by the London Philharmonic Society in 1884 with the composer himself conducting its first performance at St James's Hall

Sitting behind the horns for a powerful performance of Tchaikovsky Symphony 5 from Philharmonia Orchestra & Ryan Bancroft, plus Ravel's Piano Concerto with Bruce Liu, and Britten's Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes

A majestic revival of Rubbra's Piano Concerto in G major from Mark Bebbington & @royalphilorchestra.bsky.social tonight at Cadogan Hall. The first performance since it's London premiere 70 years ago conductor Nil Venditti explains - and it's a gem!

Back to Rochester Cathedral for more singing, in John Stainer's oratorio The Crucifixion

A privilege to join the chorus for Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius in Rochester Cathedral with @rochesterchoral.bsky.social and Rochester Sinfonietta. A truly epic work with some exquisite choral writing, and using an edition by my old music professor Bruce Wood

Another week, another premiere from @philharmonialondon.bsky.social Alisa Weilerstein & Marin Alsop were in town for the first London perf of Gabriela Ortiz's Cello Concerto 'Dzonot', capturing the beauty & mystery of the caves & rivers on the Yucatan peninsula with some wonderful sonorities 1/2

Back to Royal Festival Hall for the world premiere of Jonathan Dove's Clarinet Concerto 'Rainbow', commissioned and performed by Mark van de Wiel & @philharmonialondon.bsky.social in glorious technicolour

'How lucky am I to work with John Adams? That is the honour of my musical life' Víkingur Ólafsson on giving the London premiere of John Adams's piano concerto 'After the Fall', composed especially for him and infused with a hint of his beloved Bach

Congratulations to all the winners and finalists at this year's Music & Drama Education Awards, opened with great fanfare (literally) by the Royal Marines Band Service

Fantastic few days at Music & Drama Education Expo meeting so many passionate teachers and musicians! Great session from Judith Webster @aborchestras.bsky.social on the important education work being done and opportunities created by UK orchestras

'This is not just my story, it's the story of the LSO musicians' Kathryn McDowell shared insights from her 21 years as MD of LSO for this year's Crees Lecture, reflecting on the importance of new commissions, the pivotal role orchestras can play in music ed + that Olympics performance with Mr Bean

Great to catch up with colleagues at @aborchestras.bsky.social conference! Particularly insightful case studies from BBC Proms, Classic FM & LSO on digital marketing, as well as from Jocelyn Burnham on the threats and opportunities of AI in culture

'I hope these rarely performed pieces bring something special to your ears and your heart' Sir Antonio Pappano on Vaughan Williams's Flos Campi and Dona nobis pacem performed tonight by @londonsymphony.bsky.social & Chorus with soloists Antoine Tamestit, Julia Sitkovetsky & Ashley Riches

To the Foundling Museum for the 41st 'Music in 18th-century Britain Conference' - including papers on concert repertoire in London's pleasure gardens and wells, the Leeds Partbooks and the Taphouse collection - plus a visit to their new exhibition on Handel's Hallelujah Chorus

'The carriage that carried heroes home': very moving to visit the Cavell Van that transported the Unknown Warrior, nurse Edith Cavell and Captain Charles Fryatt on their historic journeys to London - on display at the former Dover Marine station for this year's Remembrance ceremonies

Ruth Gipps' Seascape was my highlight of tonight's concert from @sinfoniasmithsq.bsky.social & @asmforchestra.bsky.social. I learn from the programme it was inspired by a trip to Broadstairs in my home county! "I spent the night in a hotel right on the beach...I always loved the sound of the sea"

Thanks to @tomedney.bsky.social for sharing his research on Avril Coleridge-Taylor, painting a portrait of her life & music Fantastic to hear unpublished songs brought to life by @rcmlondon.bsky.social students (featuring exceptional piano parts) + learn about some exciting upcoming recordings

Benjamin Britten has been honoured with a statue in his hometown of Lowestoft, unveiled by Sir John Rutter. 'It is a gift to the town's children - he, it says, was once one of you' writes Martin Cullingford in this beautifully written account of the ceremony www.gramophone.co.uk/blogs/articl...

Britten as a Boy: Lowestoft welcomes the statue of its famous composer son

Encountering the statue in the solitude of sunset was a moving moment

gramophone.co.uk

Happy 80th to @philharmonialondon.bsky.social who held their first concert this week in 1945! Great to celebrate in London with Santtu-Matias Rouvali conducting Shostakovich 5, Finlandia, and Christian Lindberg performing the solo part in his own Trombone Concerto No 4

Wonderfully animated and dramatic song performances from soprano Anna Lluna and pianist Amy Bach in Greenwich this lunchtime including works by Lennox Berkeley, Amy Beach and Lili Boulanger

Another spectacular evening at the Gramophone Awards honouring this year's best classical recordings. A standing ovation as Gerald Finley presented Sir Thomas Allen with our Lifetime Achievement Award, and show-stopping performances from Alexandre Kantorow and Maria Duenas

To the National Gallery and the room where Dame Myra Hess launched her series of wartime concerts on this day in 1939. A very special concert from Jessica Duchen and Lara Melda telling Myra's story in music and words, concluding with her own transcription of Bach's 'Jesu, Joy'

'Support Your Local Orchestra': Manchester Camerata’s limited edition pale ale brewed with Cloudwater Brewery to launch their new season 🍻

Fascinating to hear Elgar played on period instruments courtesy of the OAE (wooden flutes, French bassoons etc) + to learn about his talents as a bassoonist at Chris Rowley's pre-concert talk