I was very disappointed yesterday evening to find that the 1952 film of The Importance of Being Earnest which I’d recorded, had been mysteriously swapped for a modern version which I didn’t like, in spite of Colin Firth, Rupert Everett, Judi Dench et al and deleted. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise. First, I watched the annual ( Read more... )

Just heard The Eagles on the radio, which reminded me that, uncool though it is to admit it, I love them. Hard to choose but here’s one, live performance 1977.

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I haven't heard Zadok the Priest performed quite like this before and I think it's great. 'Les Arts Florissants et les élèves du département Historical Performance de la Juilliard School 415 de New York interprètent Zadok the Priest HWV 258 de Haendel sous la direction de William Christie. En direct de la Grande Salle Pierre Boulez de la ( Read more... )

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I remember hearing this as a child in the fifties. Great man, Harry Belafonte.

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The Coronation Concert! Seldom have I sat through a more excruciatingly embarrassing evening. Why didn’t I just switch off? Maybe I hoped it would get better. There was a brilliant light show and an amusing encounter between Hugh Bonneville, Miss Piggy and Kermit. The rest was third-rate dross ( Read more... )

Weekends are a TV desert for me. I’m watching Magpie Murders because I’d read the book and wondered how Anthony Horowitz would translate such a complicated plot to the screen. I read it again and now watch it playing ‘spot the differences’. I also like to watch Antiques Roadshow but yesterday it was cancelled at short notice. The only reason I can ( Read more... )

Liberal England pointed me at this today. That anyone so young could sing this long and difficult piece with such maturity and mastery is quite extraordinary. Aksel now sings as a baritone. Prepare to find tears in your eyes.

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Channel 4’s The Piano is exactly the sort of programme I would expect to hate but because I love the piano, I watched the first episode and was pleasantly surprised. Yesterday, though, I thought, ‘Oh no, same old format every week; this is going to get very dull.’ Did I cry when the blind girl played Chopin? Of course I did ( Read more... )

While I’ve been doing housework, Classic FM’s Hall of Fame hour has been on. Soon, it will be time for listeners to vote for this year’s top music. I would like to propose an alternative: the Hall of Infamy. This consists of music which I dislike so much that I actually have to turn the radio off until I think it will be over ( Read more... )