Tonight, a short bike ride from where I live, I went to a concert given by the extraordinary Russian violinist Maxim Vengerov.  The programme was very demanding, comprising nothing but two violin concertos - one by Britten, one by Dvorak.  And after that, he played an encore ( Read more... )

This week I was lucky enough to get to a huge battle of a symphony concert at London's Royal Festival Hall, whose ample 1951 stage was crammed with an army of players from both the Russian National Orchestra and the London Philharmonic under the baton of Maestro-General Vladimir Jurowski.  The programme included Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture (has ( Read more... )

The name Leslie won't mean much to most people. He was a Hong Kong actor, singer and dancer, favoured of film director Wong Ka Wai. Tonight I found some old music CDs of Leslie's on one of my shelves and have been playing them while performing dull tasks around the house, tasks made less dull by the singing of this talented, attractive and much ( Read more... )

Cycling to work, as usual but in the sun (not very usual!), I heard/saw a bagpiper standing (in shorts and T-shirt - not in a kilt) by my favourite stretch of river, playing his music into the morning air.  Was he Andy Murray's brother ( Read more... )

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- so tonight I had the fun of introducing the pianist to the piano!  (I will try not to complain about cheroot ash on the keyboard)


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