The "Orpheus legend" is obviously one of the seminal "stories" which has contributed towards western civilisation's view of itself and its place in the world down the ages. Orpheus himself is a multi-faceted figure whose qualities and exploits have been variously treated and interpreted at different stages, a process that continues to this day, as witness choreopher Michael Parmenter's ambitious and wide-ranging "take" on the character's far-reaching exploits. Most people... read more

We have visits from overseas choirs from time to time, but I don’t think I’ve encountered one like this before. Words like enchanting, artless, exquisite, tender, crystalline, joyful, guileless, come to mind, and it refers to both the singing, and the dancing. The choir was established in 1932 to meet the needs of Czech Radio; it survived World War II and the years under Communism and became associated with the... read more

A free concert always packs ‘em in, and it was gratifying to see large numbers of children (particularly little girls) who had come along to this performance. For sundry reasons, my notes about this concert are far from complete, therefore I am extremely grateful to Peter Coates for much of what follows.  His words are in quotation marks below. What particularly struck me was how competently and fully all the composers... read more