Winterreise In The Ryedale Heatwave: Icy Solitude At The Height Of Summer
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Pickering Church, with its striking mediaeval architecture and clear, focused acoustic, provided an ideal setting for the opening Saturday of the Ryedale Festival. Staging Franz Schubert’s deathless Winterreise in the midst of a heatwave created an unintended antipathetic fallacy that worked remarkably well.
In Conversation: MORGXN And JB Somers
With the release of their moving duet version of Real Man, MORGXN and JB Somers have transformed a deeply personal song into a powerful conversation about masculinity, vulnerability, faith, and identity. Originally written from Somers' experience growing up as a pastor's kid in Alabama, the track takes on new resonance with MORGXN's soaring vocals and shared perspective.
Albums: December 10 On Your Side
While there is no denying that there is amazing kudos in having a Primark range already raising their profile, the lack of single success means December 10 has notches both for and against their enduring success. However, their debut EP speaks volumes about what should be their destiny. Slick production, a strong balance of bops and ballads and, most importantly, striking vocals and an awareness of how to play to each band member's strengths – this is a solid introduction to a group that wishes to be taken credibly as the next big boy band.
Classical Music: Ustvolskaya & Poulenc
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Welser-Möst and his orchestra match her at every step, the scoring tracking each swerve of feeling with unusual sensitivity: a trilling xylophone stands in for the ringing telephone with real wit, and the string textures underneath give the whole thing an unexpected warmth even at its bleakest.
Classical Music: Sacred choral music by Sarah MacDonald
All of which is background; what matters here is the music, and it is a delight. Her own chapel choir of Selwyn College sings with a polish that belies the demands of undergraduate life, recorded in the radiant, spacious acoustic of Ely Cathedral, where MacDonald is also the director of the girl choristers. The ensemble's diction, intonation, and balance are all delectably precise, and the phrasing, dynamic shading, and rhythmic vitality throughout the performance are genuinely impressive.
Deacon Blue Paint The Town Red In Halifax
With the country in World Cup fever, it was only natural that when The Lightning Seeds performed their football-themed track Three Lions when opening up for Deacon Blue at the Piece Hall in Halifax, the response would be jubilant, as the iconic football anthem proved the perfect soundtrack ahead of the finale of the football competition.
The Sound Of An Appreciative Audience
Am I the only person in the known universe to have never seen The Sound of Music? Well, I must be. Or more accurately, I 'was,' for now I have lost my innocence. I have been Rodger and Hammersteined, so to speak.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Electrify Bradford
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When Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark played a gig in Bradford back at the old Caesar’s nightclub in 1983, the support act was a newcomer on the pop scene – Howard Jones. Forty-three years later OMD are back in Bradford, this time with another new act, Andrew Cushin, who is destined to play the bigger stages.
In Conversation With American-Armenian Art-rap Collective Samuum
American-Armenian art-rap collective Samuum continue to push boundaries with their striking new single, Coffee Cup Reading (Yaman, Pt.2), a genre-blurring release that fuses Middle Eastern influences with rap, punk and rave energy.
The World's Most Extreme Sound Bath: Sunn O))) Live in Leeds
How do you prepare yourself for seeing sunn O))) live other than making sure you have the best earplugs imaginable? Walking up to the venue, I'd never seen so many people on the way to a gig carrying ear defenders, and once inside, the person in front of me put earplugs in, then a set of ear defenders over the top.
Albums: Embrace - Avalanche
Yorkshire band Embrace, currently celebrating their thirtieth anniversary, release their new album, Avalanche, with a set of ten tracks that do not disappoint.
Classical Music: Messe Modale: Upper Voices Music For Mass
The singing itself is the chief pleasure here. Just fifteen sopranos and altos produce a remarkably well-blended sound under Searles' direction, the tone consistently lovely and the diction unusually clean for a choir working in such a resonant space. Phrasing throughout is intelligent and unforced.
Classic Music: Saxophobia - Celebrating the Sax Craze of the 1920s
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I defy anyone not to start moving their legs in Charleston fashion with this seductive celebration of 1920s glamour. Nostalgia and a hearkening back to an age of nightclubs, novelty and no small amount of nerve.
There is a moment, early in the opening track, Sax-O-Trix, when you realise Chad Smith is not so much playing the saxophone as interrogating it. The virtuosity is immediate and slightly alarming — watch him perform, and you may find yourself short of breath on his behalf.
Albums: Madonna Confessions II
Reuniting with Stuart Price proves to be the masterstroke. Their chemistry remains extraordinary, creating a seamless collection of club music that feels both classic and contemporary. House, disco, electro and synth-pop flow effortlessly into one another, with every transition designed to keep the energy moving. It's a record built to be experienced as a whole rather than dissected into individual streaming moments—a rarity in modern pop.
Albums: Sienna Spiro The Visitor
Few debut artists arrive with as much goodwill as Sienna Spiro. Ever since her powerhouse covers began circulating online, comparisons to Adele and Amy Winehouse have followed her at every turn. While those labels always felt premature, they were understandable: Spiro possesses one of the most naturally commanding voices to emerge from British pop in years. The Visitor confirms that beyond any doubt. What it doesn't quite confirm is whether she has the songs to match.
Sir Stephen Hough To Lead Leeds Piano Competition Into Radical New Era
Applications have opened for the 2027 Leeds International Piano Competition, and with them came the most sweeping set of reforms in the event's 64-year history. Sir Stephen Hough, one of the most admired pianists of his generation, has been appointed Artistic Director and Chair of the Jury — and he has used the role to tear up the rulebook.
In Conversation With Bella Cutts
Your new single Curious is about modern dating. Is the song written from personal experience? Yes, absolutely. However, it would be incorrect to say the song is written about one particular person but more a series of experiences. We've all experienced relationships, romantic or otherwise, that feel very one-sided.
In Conversation: Velazquez
With his upcoming single Space Invaders, Velazquez looks poised to make the leap from rising talent to mainstream contender. Blending infectious hooks, bold creativity and a sound that feels both contemporary and distinctive, he has been steadily building momentum and attracting attention beyond his core fanbase.
Foo Fighters Score High At Anfield
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When Bruce Springsteen played a three-hour set at Liverpool FC last year, he set the bar high for others to follow. The American rock band Foo Fighters picked up the gauntlet admirably on the second night at Anfield on what was their only British date on a short European tour where the band were at their bulldozing best.
Acclaimed Cumbrian Musician Collaborating With The CBSO
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Amateur musicians of all ages will get the chance to rehearse and perform with award-winning saxophonist and CBSO Collaborative Artist Jess Gillam as part of ‘CBSO in the City’ which will bring free performances to iconic spaces across Birmingham this summer (27-31 August) for the third year.
In Conversation: TĀLĀ
British-Iranian singer, songwriter and producer TĀLĀ returns with her powerful new single, 11-11 (We Are), available everywhere now. The track is the latest preview of her forthcoming album 11, due on 11th July, and follows acclaimed releases Ghosts and I Need It, which earned support from COLORS, Headliner Magazine and Wordplay.
In Conversation: Scott Quinn
Few artists capture the complexities of human emotion quite like Scott Quinn. The British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist returns with his poignant new single, Places in London, a heartfelt reflection on the hidden losses that linger after heartbreak.
Album: The Veils Fragile World
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Across an extensive catalogue, Andrews has explored themes of longing, vulnerability, faith, grief, and human connection through songs that often feel more like carefully crafted narratives than conventional indie compositions.
Their latest release, Fragile World, continues that tradition while presenting a collection that feels remarkably immediate, intimate, and unguarded.
Albums: Zaska - Nectar
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The Papez comes with an R&B and hip hop courtesy of jarjarjr on a number that shows that there are more colours on Zaska's palette than first imagined.
Albums: Bird (Janie Price) On Held Here Together
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Classical Music: Carl Orff: Carmina Burana
That opening 'O Fortuna' is electrifying — dynamics are observed with real precision rather than mere brute force. Anyone of a certain age will recall its rather unlikely second life soundtracking a men's aftershave advert in the 1970s and '80s, which says something about how a single thrilling fragment can eclipse a far richer whole in the popular imagination. It's a pattern that feels uncomfortably familiar in other walks of life too – not least, dare I say, in the way British politics now rewards the soundbite over substance. Orff's wheel of fortune deserves more than fifteen seconds of fame.
Rob Jones & The Restless Dream
Rob Jones & The Restless Dream is the project of UK singer-songwriter Rob Jones, a former teacher turned full-time musician, whose songs blend big choruses, rich instrumentation, and a storyteller’s eye for life’s detours. Rooted in classic songwriting and narrative-driven lyrics, Rob’s work draws influence from artists like Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty.
Walt Strony Plays At Victoria Hall, Saltaire
Walt Strony is one of America's most celebrated concert organists, and we are delighted to welcome him across the Atlantic for our July concert at the Victoria Hall, Saltaire, on Sunday, 12th July, at 2.30pm. Born in Chicago in 1955, he began music lessons at the age of seven and made his public debut in 1974 at just eighteen. Over fifty years on, he shows absolutely no sign of stopping.
Young Chamber Music Stars Win Dorothy Parkinson Memorial Award
Talented quintet Lumas Winds have been awarded the prestigious Dorothy Parkinson Memorial Award for Young British Musicians following their mesmerising performance at the HACS Harrogate Music Festival.
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Returns To Hull To Celebrate Landmark 80th Anniversary Season
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) announces it will return to Hull to perform four concerts as part of its 80th anniversary concert season, starting in September.