Albums: The Strokes - Reality Awaits

For a band that practically wrote the blueprint for 21st-century indie rock, The Strokes has always seemed oddly uncomfortable with nostalgia. Reality Awaits, the long-awaited seventh album, doesn't try to recreate the leather-jacket cool of Is This It or simply extend the sleek melancholy of The New Abnormal

Albums: Role Model Chuck Timely & The Hourglass

Before his breakthrough hit Sally, When the Wine Runs Out, Role Model often felt like an artist still searching for his identity. That song changed everything, pairing effortless charm with sharp songwriting, and Chuck Timely & The Hourglass proves it was no fluke. Rather than simply chasing the success of his biggest hit to date, Role Model uses it as a springboard for an album that feels more confident, more adventurous and, ultimately, more complete.

Art - Task Or Pleasure

Colin Neville is the curator of the website Not Just Hockney. As I am featured in his list of artists on this website, he kindly informed me recently about a very interesting gentleman called Thomas Ablett. I immediately felt a connection to this artist.

Classical Music: Scenes From Finland

The Oulu Sinfonia are the real stars of this cycle: precise, accurate, never once caught fumbling for a note, with woodwind and strings that make light and melody of everything put in front of them. Four composers, one landscape, and not a single weak link in the chain — Sibelius would probably approve of the company he's keeping

Classical Music: De Profundis: Choral Works by Parry and Elgar

Signum pairs two composers who rarely feel like strangers to one another, and this disc makes the case for their kinship well. Parry's De Profundis — a large-scale, twelve-part setting of Psalm 130 — dominates proceedings, its long arc from penitence to consolation still capable of catching a listener off guard more than a century on. God Is Our Hope and Strength offers a shorter but no less confident companion piece, while Elgar supplies the disc's more intimate corners: the partsong The Snow and the folk-inflected Scenes from the Bavarian Highlands, both far removed from the pomp he's better known for.

Exploding Flowers On Tour

Exploding Flowers has often found itself mentioned alongside revered names such as Big Star, The Soft Boys and the many bands associated with New Zealand's legendary Flying Nun Records. Rather than shy away from those comparisons, the band embraces them.

‘Iconic’ Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Celebrates Record Visitor Numbers

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival celebrated significant audience growth with record numbers of crime fiction fans from across the UK, Europe, the US and beyond flocking to the Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate to enjoy more than 34 events with 140 authors over four days, 23-26 July.

London City Ballet Return To York Theatre Royal With Firebird

Recently nominated as Best Independent Company at the upcoming National Dance Awards 2026, London City Ballet will be back at York Theatre Royal this Autumn with a new programme of work (18-19 Sep) - including a co-production with York Theatre Royal of Glen Tetley’s Firebird.

Harrogate Comedy Festival Celebrates 17 Years Of Bringing Britain's Biggest Laughs To Yorkshire

Harrogate Theatre is preparing to welcome some of the biggest names in comedy as Harrogate Comedy Festival returns this autumn with another outstanding programme of stand-up, improv, storytelling and family entertainment.

2026 Mercury Prize ‘Albums Of The Year’ Revealed

The Utilita Arena will host October's ceremony, with Sam Fender's home city welcoming back Britain and Ireland's most prestigious album prize — Andrew Palmer reports. Newcastle will once again take centre stage for British and Irish music this autumn, as the Mercury Prize confirmed the city will host its 2026 Awards Show on Thursday 22nd October at the Utilita Arena.

Annie: Pinning Today’s Hopes And Dreams On A Brighter Tomorrow

Like the 1982 film, the current version of Annie is based on a feisty, eleven year old orphan with an unwavering belief that her parents will return for her – and her life will be transformed forever.

A Right Royal Handbagging In Scarborough

Moira Buffini's Olivier Award-winning Handbagged is a witty, intelligent and sharply-observed political comedy which imagines the private conversations between Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher during the latter's eleven years as Prime Minister.

1980s Soundtrack In Conversation With Tom Bailey

Few artists are as closely associated with the soundtrack of the 1980s as Tom Bailey. As the frontman of the Thompson Twins, he helped define an era with a string of timeless synth-pop classics, yet his relationship with that legacy has always been measured rather than nostalgic.

Huddersfield Choral Youth Choirs Is Calling For Young Singers To Come Along To A Fun, Musical Day Out On 25 August

The Summer Singers Holiday Club will take place on Tuesday 25 August from 9.30am to 3.30pm at Lindley Methodist Church. The event is open to children aged seven and over and costs £25 per child. Organised by Huddersfield Choral Youth Choirs, the one-day club promises a lively mix of songs, games and music-making in a friendly, supportive setting.

Opeth - Paradise Found In Halifax

Two of rock music’s giants stormed into the Piece Hall in Halifax to give the summer series of concerts at the venue a heavier tone.

Local Performing Arts Business Named Finalist In National Awards

Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts (PQA) York, Scarborough, Beverley, and Hull has been named a finalist in the Scaling Business of the Year category at The Class Business Awards 2026. The Class Business Awards recognise businesses and individuals delivering outstanding experiences through classes, clubs and activities across the UK.

Big Names Headlining Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival 2026

Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival is back with a bang this autumn featuring a host of national treasures and literary stars. The Literature Festival, sponsored by Raworths Solicitors, is one of the biggest dates in the country’s literary calendar taking place across two action-packed weeks (11 – 25 October) in the North Yorkshire spa town.

Double Bill For Mighty Wurlitzer As Two Organists Share Saltaire Console

August brings something a little different to Victoria Hall, Saltaire, where two organists will share the console of the Mighty Wurlitzer for a single afternoon concert on Sunday 9th August at 2.30pm. Two players, of course, means two personalities — and audiences can expect two distinct takes on this extraordinary instrument.

From Alpine Roots To Global Stages: How Oesch’s Die Dritten Keep Tradition Alive

In the rolling green valleys of Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland, where yodelling once carried messages from mountain to mountain, a family ensemble has spent nearly three decades proving that tradition need not stand still to survive.

Gin, Ghosts And Greasepaint: Harrogate Theatre Uncorks A Bumper Autumn

Andrew Palmer was among the guests toasting a sparkling season launch, complete with a bespoke theatre gin, mini cupcakes and a season ranging from Hitchcock and Michael Morpurgo to the surreal comic genius of Daniel Kitson There are worse ways to spend an evening than being handed a gin and prosecco cocktail and a mini cupcake before the house lights have even dimmed.

Chris Murphy: Songs From The Trees,

With his new album Songs From The Trees, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Chris Murphy has created a record that feels both timeless and adventurous.

A Sting In The Tail - Nice Jazz Festival

At the heart of the summer season on the Côte d’Azur the Nice Jazz Festival returned for three evenings of open air concerts featuring the very best of jazz and contemporary music.

Albums: Bachelor Girl Waiting For The Day: Artist Sessions

Far too often, anniversary albums feel like contractual obligations or exercises in nostalgia. Waiting for the Day: Artist Sessions is neither. It breathes new life into an already exceptional collection of songs while introducing them to a new generation through some of Australia's finest artists. More importantly, it serves as a reminder that Bachelor Girl's songwriting has always deserved to be spoken about alongside the very best pop of its era.

Crossover Albums: Revival: The New Album by Reductio

The textures throughout are stunning, and the resonance and reverberation are captured with real skill—this is a beautifully engineered record, not just a gimmick with a good story. What next—a bishop or dean DJing the gospel reading to a four-on-the-floor beat? Whatever it takes to draw new audiences into our cathedrals and abbeys, let's try it. I love its difference. I love its challenging nature. I love the disco beat. And for a critic over 60, I thoroughly enjoyed every irreverent, reverberating minute of it. Try it—and dare yourself to like it.

Albums: Now That’s What I Call Soft Rock & Power Pop Anthems

This new compilation brings together some of the biggest commercial rock songs of the last fifty years over a set of four CDs or three blue vinyl albums.

The Power Of One Voice: Camino Ghosts By John Grisham

When in any doubt or perhaps when facing too much choice, it’s a safe bet to reach for an old faithful, so I did just that when I picked this Grisham from the TBR pile by the bed. For the uninitiated, TBR means To Be Read or should that be BTBR – Begging To Be Read.

“I’ve Had To Step Back From Social Media For My Mental Health"

Hot Flash cast members Elios Douglas, Roz Gemma and Matt Jameson on acting, identity, and barriers to success. Elios: The biggest difficulty I’ve faced as a trans actor is simply that there aren’t many trans roles. They’re not being written, and when they are, loads of us go up for them, so the chances are tiny. Without an agent or a first credit, breaking in is even harder.

Albums: Ariana Grande Petal

If Eternal Sunshine hinted at a more reflective Ariana, Petal fully embraces that direction. These songs unfold gently, rewarding patience rather than demanding attention. The production is smooth and understated, blending soft pop with contemporary R&B textures that give the record a dreamy, almost weightless feel.

The CBSO Launches 'First Listen' – A Three-Part Concert Series For New Audiences, With Tickets Just £5 Each

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) has announced ‘First Listen’, a new three-part concert series at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall which has been created to introduce orchestral music to a new audience. At one hour each, and with tickets costing just £5, each concert in the series is designed to be the ideal introduction to seeing a symphony orchestra live.

Classical Music: Contemporary Uzbek Music for Clarinet and Piano

Contemporary Uzbek Music for Clarinet and Piano is the first commercial recording given over wholly to this repertoire, and it arrives with several works written for and dedicated to its soloist. Sayyod Mirzomurodov, an international soloist, chamber musician, and educator, is about as well placed as any clarinettist could be to bring this music to disc: several of the pieces exist because he does.

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