The Hallé Orchestra is world class again
Listening to the Hallé Orchestra playing Shostakovich on Radio 3 a few days ago set me thinking about the remarkable turnaround of its fortunes over the past decade. At the end of the 1990s sniffy...
View ArticleMancs v Brummies. In search of England's second city
Writing about the Hallé Orchestra the other day, I was going to call Manchester England’s second city. I’ve always felt its right to that crown is justified, but the problem is that Birmingham makes a...
View ArticleSheffield, European City of Culture 2013 – not as laughable as it sounds
You can hear the sniggers already, at the news that Sheffield is bidding to become Britain's City of Culture in three years' time. It's true that Sheffield is not one of the world's great beauty spots....
View ArticleSo, why did the comedian cross the Mersey?
The most important thing in comedy, they tell me, is… wait for it… timing. So it was with more than a little relief that I learned only yesterday that, according to a survey of stand-up comedians, the...
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