Bells, beautiful bells

Ravel: Ma mère l’Oye; Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy (piano) Harmonia Mundi HMM902752 49:20 mins Those of us lucky, as I was at both their Ragged Music Festival and

New Generation Publishing 379pp (hb) £18.99 The ambition of Will Fraser’s debut novel is never in doubt. Weaving together sometimes self-conscious observations about the nature of music with slow-burn

Arvo Pärt’s music has a sound which appears hauntingly simple, though it stirs complex emotions. Much of it is written for voices singing sacred texts, but there are also instrumental works composed i

Where would movies be without music? Sure, images, story and dialogue are all important. But cinematic soundtracks provide that human connection – the key to character motivation and emotional truth.

Choral singers and their music directors around the UK will be raising brimful glasses on 24 September in celebration of Sir John Rutter’s 80th birthday. His music is, after all, buried deep in the mu

Robert Thicknesse on Opera TO ANY SENSIBLE ...