Outstandingly powerful

Tchaikovsky’s heart of darkness | The Observer The Philharmonia gives the composer’s strange and impressive card-trick opera a mood of doom. Plus, a masterclass in Schubert

observer.co.uk/music/classi...

How about we start celebrating higher education as a nation? How about we start shouting, loudly, of the social good of higher education? How about we talk of the nurses, the doctors, the teachers, the social workers, educated at universities? How about we celebrate the artists, the writers, 1/

Last call for Ludlow! 🚂
The Ludlow English Song Weekend opens this Friday with Heart’s Haven, from Andrew Hamilton and Iain Burnside. Tickets: bit.ly/LESWtickets

is it swan lake

Germany did destroy itself almost a century ago. It wasn’t because it took in too many migrants. It was because it fell for arguments uncomfortably close to Vance’s.

Extract from 'Hillbilly Elegy' by J.D Vance in which the narrator talks about standing up to bullies.

Don't remember much about Hillbilly Elegy (J.D. Vance's 2016 book) but I knew there was a parable about the importance of standing up to bullies in there. I'm sure he meant it at the time.

🖕!!

Building a Library this afternoon for #andrewmcgregor on #radio3. Liszt Totentanz. Genius piece. A lot easier to talk about than to play.

One of my ancestors grew up speaking a foreign language and living in this country. I'd ask him what he thought about this. Except he's buried in Imphal war graves cemetery.

BBC radio drama is in grave danger. Without it we may lose the next generation of writing talent Hundreds of hours of original plays have been cut from the corporation’s programming in recent years. If the trend continues, a valuable training ground for writers will be lost

“But the small single play that allows a writer to be themselves or rather – crucially – to become themselves is increasingly rare. A writer’s loss is an audience’s loss too…”

www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

Brilliant thread

“The poster child for autocracy”: how to understand Trump’s regime Author and legal expert Kim Lane Schepelle explains Trump’s power grab and what can be done to stop the destruction of American democracy

"Democracy will not go down without a fight"

@kimlanelaw.bsky.social explains Trump’s power grab and what can be done to stop the destruction of American democracy in latest Democracy for Sale

Highly recommended reading this in full

democracyforsale.substack.com/p/the-poster...

A photo of a magnolia tree in bloom in Ludlow. Behind are a Georgian cottage, painted sky blue, next door to a black and white Tudor house.

Spring is coming! The days are getting longer, and it's the perfect time to make plans that can sustain you through the last of the winter.

Tickets are on sale now for Ludlow English Song Weekend. 3 days of world-class music in the glorious Shropshire countryside this April. Visit: bit.ly/3Q21l96

Who made the decision to leave the EU? So, here’s THE key question: Who made the decision for the UK to leave the EU? It wasn’t the referendum. The referendum, as agreed by Parliament, was advisory only and not legally capable of making an...

An unmissable read

eu-rope.ideasoneurope.eu/2021/06/07/w...

After some New Year culture? Join a free online lecture from Cincinnati Song Initiative. Hear about Goethe's contribution to song with live musical illustrations - Tues Jan 14, 11.30pm GMT

You don't have to stay up late to watch! You'll get a link to catch up anytime.

Sign up: bit.ly/3C4pzfq

A reminder that there are FOURTEEN TIMES more Lib Dem MPs in Parliament than there are Reform MPs. Three times as many independents. And nearly as many Greens.

We should not be paying so much attention to them.

Pity Farage wasn’t asked about this - he should be forced to own it @bbclaurak.bsky.social @theneweuropean.bsky.social

To be added to the list of things Liz Truss is wrong about:

Destroy the myth that libraries are no longer relevant. If you use your library, please share. Picture of library aisle filled with books.

@goodwilllibrarian.bsky.social

As Janey Godley has her funeral, here is her roasting Michelle Mone.

😂

A monochrome black and mauve linoprint, 'Shropshire Hills' by Mike Ashton, showing a rolling landscape with undulating lines. White text reads 'Welcome to the Ludlow English Song Weekend 11th to 13th April 2025.'

If we're connected at the other place, we probably just followed you! We used a Chrome extension to find you - this medium article has step-by-step instructions. dmuth.medium.com/how-to-migra...

We'd love it if you followed us back! There's lots of exciting news about LESW 2025 coming soon!