March ’20
Cries and Whispers, Manchester Collective, Town Hall – Leeds
Intense music making
Including Britten’s 1st and Shostakovich’s 8th quartets this fantastic collective produced another great concert. Also included were Widmann’s String Quartet No 2 and arrangements of Gesualdo’s Madrigals though playing the latter twice having told us he was a murderer didn’t work.
Playlist
Dark Matter, Moses Boyd
Strauss: Alpine Symphony etc. Oslo PO – Petrenko
Khachaturian: Piano music, Iyad Sughayer
Out of My Province, Nadia Reid
Beethoven: Middle Quartets, Emerson Quartet
Bartok: String Quartets, Emerson Quartet
Lise Davidsen, 4 Last Songs etc. Philharmonia – Salonen
February ’20
Alaw, The Live Room – Saltaire
Welsh harmony
It’s a bonus when a band’s banter is so funny that tears run down the cheek especially when their playing is equally brilliant. Fabulous guitar work (from Dylan) and great interplay all round.
Black Midi, The Irish Centre – Leeds
Not one for me
I’m getting old (maybe; well definitely but definitely maybe regarding rock gigs) as I didn’t enjoy this and my son rated it as a top gig. Bit like Melt Yourself Down but less interesting. Support III Japonia was interesting but also ‘not for me’. Never heard Messiaen has the between act music before (Trois petites liturgies de la présence divine, I think) before!
Giuseppe Guarrera, The Venue – Leeds
Man in a hurry
His playing was too fast for me losing the poetry along the way, particularly in Alborado del gracioso. However, going fast is prerequisite for the finales of Prokofiev’s 7th piano sonata so that worked!
Iceland Symphony Orchester, Yann Pascal Tortelier, Town Hall – Leeds
Bizet (L’Arlesienne), Ravel (brilliant Jean-Efflam Bavouzet playing the left hand concerto) and Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, all played with panache. Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s Aeriality added a suitably brooding presence to the storm blowing outside. Excellent concert.
Beethoven and Bruckner: Yeol Eum Son, Liverpool Philharmonic – Andrew Manze, Philharmonic Hall – Liverpool
Yeol Eum Son is petite but propels a fantastic sound, sometime overwhelming the woodwind, out of the Steinway during the ‘Emperor’ concerto. The Bruckner (4th Symphony) similarly blasts, this time the brass; enough the compete with Storm Ciara that was blowing outside. Top performances.
Beethoven: Rasumovsky No3 and Op. 131 quartets, Elias String Quartet, Square Chapel – Halifax
Stunning performances
The Op131 in particular grabbed me. It is an astonishing work and got the performance it deserved by the Elias.
Richard Hawley, The Met – Bury
Not for me
This one was a mistake because I don’t like his songs ‘acoustic’; give me screaming guitars and ‘yes’.
February ’20
Celtic Connections: Fatoumata Diawara, Tramway – Glasgow
A flabbergasting performance from Fatou and undiminishing energy as she got everyone dancing at the end, including the front row on the stage. A great rock star.
Rockin’
Celtic Connections: VILDÁ, Tramway – Glasgow
Hildá Länsman, who has Sámi ancestors, and Viivi Maria Saarenkylä for a fantastic duo that seems to come from the ends of the earth (well, in a way they do). Länsman’s incredible vocals reach into the brain and fry it slightly.
Hunterian Art Gallery and Mackinstosh House, Glasgow University
Nothing like the inside
This recreation of Mackintosh’s house in Nottingham is stunning; particularly the bedroom. The art gallery was great because of its eclecticism. Loved the Whistlers.
Celtic Connections: Isobel Campbell, Mackintosh Church – Glasgow
This was a gig when the importance of an artist connecting with their audience was emphasised; for me Campbell had none. She appeared distracted, the scratch band were valiantly trying to keep with her but didn’t always succeed. Unfortunately we were stuck in a pew near the front.
Should’ve been good
Oscar Marzaroli, Street Level Gallery – Glasgow
Gone Glasgow
Marzaroli’s photos were quite brilliant and superbly curated.
Celtic Connections: Anaïs Mitchell and Bonny Light Horseman, Fruit Market – Glasgow
A mixture of Mitchell’s earlier stuff and her new album as part of Bonny Light Horseman. Great musicianship and connection to audience.
Bonny brilliant
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum – Glasgow
Gothic building and weather
This great ‘monstrosity’ was a fascinating gallery as it was just chock full of stuff including Dali’s stunning Christ of Saint John of the Cross.
Celtic Connections: Nitin Sawnhey, Fruit Market – Glasgow
Fabulous reconstruction
Stunning performance of Prophecy particularly Nikki Wells’ vocals. Ear-singing!
Everyday Racism – Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow
Karen Gordon’s fascinating collection of ‘everyday racism’
Each photo has an explanation; for the above: ‘Jawad says people are friendly to him, but only when they realise he’s Irish, and not a practising Muslim, do they really open up.’ The ‘culture war’ is hotting up in the UK (and no doubt elsewhere) as white privilege pushes back at the gains made, usually by denying the racism in the first place.
Playlist
Roberto Fonseca, Yesun
Beethoven: Symphonies, Gewandhaus Orch – Chailly
Books
The Warehouse, Rob Hart
The Whisper Man, Alex North
The Sound of the City, Charlie Gillett
The Silent Companions, Laura Purcell
January ’20
Corinna Boylan and Andrew Quartermain – The Venue, Leeds
Varied programme
I enjoyed the mix of Debussy, Beethoven and Schumann but neither Boylan nor Quartermain could quite match Kauer and Rhind of a couple of weeks back. Well worth hearing though.
Britten Sinfonia, Town Hall – Leeds
Leader, Thomas Gould
An eclectic mix of Bach, Shostakovich and Pärt, couldn’t help feeling a little low key as only the Russian had any grit. Elegant playing throughout the Pärt’s Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten was suitably chilling.
Ecstatic Dances, Manchester Collective, The Crypt – Leeds
Paul Høxbro
Although the gig was programmed to include Warlock’s Capriol Suite and Ades’ Arcadiana, the Manchester Collective don’t do ordinary. So we were regaled with a mash-up of new (Ades) and very old: Trad. Ancient Songs and Dances from England, Scotland, and Denmark. Excellent stuff.
Mike Ferris, The Live Room – Saltaire
Blasting soul
This was a great blast of rocking soul to start the new year at the Live Room. Could’ve done without the pseudo religious stuff (audience as community) toward the end but that’s probably just me. Great band and Ferris was a superb front man.
Sophie Kauer & Alison Rhind, The Venue, Leeds
More than precocious
When some geezer shouted ‘Bravo’ halfway through Shostakovich’s cello sonata the smile evident on Kauer’s face in the photo above burst out. She is an exceptional cellist, even at only 18; accomplished accompanist Alison Rhind vouched for that. It was a good programme with miniatures from Francoeur, Webern (great Drei Kleine Stucke) , Schumann and Poulenc adorning the main event.
Books
West, Carys Davies
Infinite Detail, Tim Maughan
Playlist
Songs of Our Native Daughters, Our Native Daughters
DJ Dolores: Recife 19
Vilda, Wildprint
Roberto Fonseca, Yesun
Nitin Sawhney, Prophecy
December ’19
Van Gogh The Immersive Experience, York St. Mary’s
CGI infects art world
There’s a painting called ‘Still Life’ which has been CGI-ed to move: What. Is. The. Point? I couldn’t see a link between the intermittent commentary and the images but maybe I’d lost interest by then.
Peter Knight’s Gigspanner Big Band, The Live Room – Saltaire
No difficult second gig
If a band blows you away the first time you see them there’s a danger they won’t repeat the feat as you know what to expect. No danger with this sensational band, with added John Spiers since I saw them in July. Truly great band – gigs of the year!
Books
Lanny, Max Porter
The Cut-Out Girl, Bart van Es – brilliant biography of a Jewish child in Holland during the war and after.
Electric Eden, Rob Young
Feral, George Monbiot
The Elm Witch, Tana French
Playlist
Laura Cannell, The Sky Untuned
Daniel Pioro, Dust
Moor Mother, Analog Fluids of Sonic Black Holes
November ’19
Orchestra of Opera North – Edwards, Town Hall – Leeds
Cargill, Edwards and Purvis do Bartok
A massive orchestra for both Janacek’s Sinfonietta and Bartok’s Duke Bluebeard’s Castle is enough to blow the wax out of your ears. Excellent performances, though Cargill was sometimes swamped by the orchestra.
The Centre is Everywhere, Manchester Collective, Town Hall – Leeds
Doing it different
I’m not sure anyone who thought they were going to get the whole of Vivalidi’s Four Seasons thought, but interspersing four movements from the warhorse with Ligeti’s Metamorphoses quartet and sung Bach chorales was certainly different. It was also sensationally good. Part two was traditional, a marvellous new piece by Edmund Finnis, which gave the concert its title, and an arrangement for seven strings of Strauss’ Metamorphosen that sounded even more suitably astringent than the original. Great gig.
The Practice of Love, Jenny Hval, Bates Mill – Huddersfield
Left field as it should be
The Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival offers stuff that’s difficult to hear most times as the music usually fits only one category: uncategorisable. Although Hval’s new album, The Practice of Love, is more mainstream than her earlier stuff, this show more than doubled its short length with bizarre, daft, funny and silly theatrics. Occasionally the show soared; sometimes it did not. Great stuff.
Lady Maisery, The Live Room – Saltaire
Don’t need no men
Loved this band’s attitude: they obviously have taken it from the song ‘Lady Mary’ (sometimes Maisery) who is haughty toward men who try to bring them down a peg. Fabulous musicianship and harmonious singing.
Dustbowl Revival, The Live Room – Saltaire
Rocking the crusties
It’s rare to have a dance area at The Live Room and it is a tribute to Dustbowl Revival that they a reasonable amount of the predominantly oldish audience on their feet. Great band.
Books
Native Tongue, Suzette Haden Elgin
October ’19
Poor Nameless Boy, The Live Room – Saltaire
Songs based on stories
Laidback Canucks gently told us stories and then sang to songs they inspired. Some lovely electric guitar work.
Lauren van der Heijden, BBC Philharmonic – Joana Carneiro, Town Hall – Leeds
Neuroses in music
As a Jew forced to convert to Catholicism for his career, it’s not surprisingly that Mahler was mentally conflicted. His 5th Symphony seems a battle between the forces of order and disintegration; the Adagietto excepted. Fantastic performance, Carneiro drew fabulous playing, particularly from the brass. The concert was a first for me in that it combined females in the roles of soloist and conductor and composer. Anna Clyne’s Masquerade was a colourful opener and van der Heijden sparkled in Saint-Saens.
Catrin Finch and Seikou Keita, The Live Room – Saltaire
Mellifluous
Great to see ‘world’ roots at The Live Room; recent winners of BBC Folk Awards fusion category. Much as I loved the sound it was a bit monochrome for a whole gig.
Arcade, The Live Room – Saltaire
But I don’t like ’80s pop
The Live Room is essentially a ‘roots music’ gig and as Heidi Talbot is a renowned folk artist is was a bit bemusing to find Arcade is an incarnation, with Adam Holmes, were they channel their love of ’80s pop. Best song: cover of ‘I’m on Fire’.
Halle Orchestra – Andrew Manze, Jame Ehnes, Leeds Town Hall
Not the simple patriot he might appear
Although Ehnes played Bruch’s warhorse well, the highlight was Elgar’s first. He epitomise, for some, misty-eyed patriotism but it’s clear that after the ‘big tune’ flowers beautifully in the finale it all crumbles to dust afterwards.
William Blake, Tate Britain – London
The Ancient of Days
I don’t know why but I’ve always liked Blake. After experiencing this excellent exhibition I still don’t know why. Not that that matters. I had that not uncommon experience of finding a favourite piece (above) was actually not much bigger than a postcard!
Playlist
Manu Delago, Circadian
Rowan Rheingans, The Lines We Draw Together
The Small Glories, The Small Glories
Donnacha Dennehey, The Hunger
Debussy: Les Trois Sonates
Saint-Saëns: Piano Concertos Nos 2, 5 & Piano Works, Chamayou, National Orch of France – Krivine
Books
Women and Power, Mary Beard
Searching for John Ford, Joseph McBride
September ’19
Sekiya Maki, The Venue – Leeds
Slight but powerful
Although Sekiya failed to lift the piano lid without help, her performances were powerful. The Chopin Nocturnes didn’t sing but she caught the drama of Beethoven’s last sonata, blasted out Liszt’s ‘La Campaniella’ and fully caught the essence of Gybaidulina’s ‘Chaconne’. Good concert.
The Lonesome Ace String Band, The Live Room – Saltaire
Astonishing playing
These Canucks apparently describe themselves as ‘journeymen musicians’ but they are extraordinary virtuosos. Great gig.
Fraser Anderson, The Live Room – Saltaire
Engaging musically and as a band
Not all the songs were strong but the playing always was.
Books
The Overstory, Richard Powers – brilliant combination of trees and humanity
Playlist
Christian Scott, The Emancipation Procrastination
The Lonesome Ace Stringband, When the Sun Comes Up
Fontaines DC, Dogrel
Black Midi, Schlagenheim
The Flaming Lips, King’s Mouth
Idles, Joy as an Act of Resistance
August ’19
3hattrio, The Live Room – Saltaire
From the desert
It’s difficult to characterise this band; as they say, they’ve created a new genre, ‘desert music’. I loved the drama of the songs and the electronic interventions. Great singing voices too. One of the best gigs of the year.
Whitby Folk Week
The best bit
After a couple of dire concerts it was looking bleak. However, the music making in the pubs made me feel I was in Ireland. Paul Sartin created ‘Living By the Sea’, featuring Faustus, a choir and narrator Matthew Crampton was excellent.
Books
Homo Deus, Yuval Noah Harari – thought provoking
Music, Music, Music, Clothes, Clothes, Clothes, Boys, Boys, Boys, Viv Albertine – honest and insightful
Semiosis, Sue Burke – fantastic ‘first contact’ novel
Playlist
Caroline Shaw, Orange, Attacca Quartet
July ’19
Alvin Youngblood Hart and the Muscle Theory, The Live Room – Saltaire
As Mr Hart said, ‘I hope you’re not here for folk’.
What they did was rock; at least in the 2nd half. The first half didn’t grab me but in the end they were brilliant.
Mama’s Broke, The Live Room – Saltaire
Incredible virtuosity from Lisa the fiddle
They made up for what they lacked in audience rapport with stunning playing on a variety of instruments and gorgeous harmony.
Tao of Glass, Royal Exchange Theatre – Manchester
The repetitions of life
Phelim McDermott’s brilliant tribute to the role of Philip Glass in his life is as much a meditation on the latter as the former. Great performancers from McDermott, the puppeteers and the musicians. Pretty much a one-off.
The Color Purple musical, Hippodrome – Birmingham
Deserved curtain call
Whilst I wasn’t wholly won over by this episodic adaptation, the performances were brilliant. Interesting that the audience, with a higher proportion of BAME folk, was much more involved in the action than the usual middle class rabble.
Gigspanner Big Band, The Poly – Falmouth
Rocking folk jazz
Peter Knight’s Gigspanner, supplemented by Edgelarks to make it ‘big’, blazed with brilliance. Most tracks started folk and the middle section featured extended solos and duos (versus) which where utterly gripping. Great harmonica too from Philip Henry; can’t wait to see them again.
The Brother Brothers, The Live Room – Saltaire
Twin harmony
Good repartee and some excellent songs; particularly liked the cello playing.
Books
Normal People, Sally Rooney
June ’19
Huddersfield Choral Society, St Paul’s – Huddersfield
Glorious harmony
This was a ‘scratch’ performance of two pieces by Eric Whitacre and masses by Vaughan Williams and Faure. Fabulous sound and performances.
Books
A Ladder to the Sky, John Boyne – superb dissection of ambition
The Snakes, Sadie Jones – brilliant critique of capitalism
1984, George Orwell
Native: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire, Akala – essential political history of racism
Aurora, Kim Stanley Robinson – gripping investigation into what it means to be human
Roboteer, Alex Lamb
The History of Science Fiction, Adam Roberts
Playlist
The Comet is Coming, Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery
Tchaikovsky: Symphony 6, BPO – K Petrenko
Third Coast Percussion, Perpetulum
New Order, Power, Corruption and Lies
Clinic, Wheeltappers and Shunters
May ’19
The Willows – The Live Room, Saltaire
Occasionally took off
Engaging but not immersive.
Rachel Yamagata, Trades Club – Hebden Bridge
Good connection
I like Rachel Yamagata a lot, she has a soulful voice and intense performance style. However, the sound was far too loud in such a small venue.
The Little Unsaid – The Live Room, Saltaire
Saying a lot
Great set, mostly from their yet-to-be-released album, including that rarity, a techno-roots song. Top stuff.
The Rite of Spring, Seeta Patel – Kala Sangam, Bradford
Elemental
Two Rites in one year (cup runneth etc) and this was even better than the last. Riveting and elemental. What a score!
Books
Golden State, Ben Winters
The Damned, Nick Riddle
All the Colours of the Town, Liam McIlvanney
A Closed and Common Orbit, Becky Chambers
The Big Sleep, Raymond Chandler
The Dry, Jane Harper
Chernobyl: History of a Tragedy, Serhii Plokhy
Beneath the World, the Sea, Chris Beckett – fantastic novel about the instability of the self
Playlist
Rhiannon Giddens, There is no Other (with Francesco Turrisi)
Chemical Brothers, No Geography
Holly Herndon, Proto
Benyounes Quartet, Innovators
The Little Unsaid, Atomise
The National, I Am Easy to Find
April ’19
The Unthanks – Square Chapel, Halifax
This a cappella gig suffered from a lack of variety no matter how beautiful the voices are. And Kit Dowell’s and Aiden O’Rourke’s jazz-folk did not gel at all.
West Side Story – Royal Exchange, Manchester
1950s brought to life
Superb production of superb musical. Shit hot band.
Books
Fatherland, Robert Harris
The Dark Circle, Linda Grant
Film Noir Prototypes, eds. Alain Silver and James Ursini
A Month in the Country, JL Carr
Playlist
Zibuokle Martinaityte, In Search of Lost Beauty
Matthew Bourne, Nightports
March ’19
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Vasily Petrenko, Philharmonic Hall – Liverpool
Glorious singing
Although Beethoven’s 3rd rarely grabs me, Petrenko still made it interesting and he gets the best out of Rachmaninov’s Isle of the Dead. Best of all was Elgar’s Sea Pictures, with Kathryn Rudd in total control.
Shall Earth No More Inspire Thee, The Unthanks, Bronte Parsonage Museum – Haworth
Otherworldliness
The Unthanks and Emily Brontë are a good match and this short walk from their Parsonage, through the graveyard, onto the moors accompanied by song and reflection is a good way to engage with this place 200 years ago.
The Barbershop Chronicles, Inua Ellams, Royal Exchange – Manchester
Essential tails
Although the Royal Exchange’s ’round’ wasn’t ideal for me to see this, the accents were difficult to decipher when the actors’ backs were towards me, I still enjoyed these tales of black, male experience.
Track Dogs, The Live Room – Saltaire
Superb live band
Although I found their album ‘only’ ‘listenable’ (that’s damningly faint praise), live they were superb. Particularly enjoyed the Spanish influence; they live in Madrid but are American, English and Irish.
Mark Thomas: Check Up: Our NHS at 70, Home – Manchester
Thomas has the ability to nail the politics with a one-liner; “There are more types of dementia than there are UKIP councillors.” It’s a shame he, by default, preaches to the converted.
Martin Parr: Return to Manchester, Manchester Art Gallery
Knees-up
Parr is one of Britain’s great photographers of the working class. His affectionate eye often captures the plain daftness of life. The great show goes from the early ’70s start up to last year.
Unsung, Lisa Holdsworth, Unsung collective, Square Chapel – Halifax
Like Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls Holdsworth places four women from history: scientist (Lovelace), doctor (Jex-Blake), soldier (Bader) and writer (Dunbar) together. It’s an effective dramatisation of the patriarchal barriers these women had to overcome.
Books
Homage to Catalonia, George Orwell
The Glass Room, Simon Mawer
Burnt Orange, Harriet Tyce
Walter Wanger Hollywood Independent, Matthew Bernstein
Playlist
Sibelius: Symphony 1, Gothenburg Symphony – Santtu-Matias Rouvali
February ’19
Katya Kabanova, Opera North – Leeds
Burning with guilt
Stephanie Corley was excellent in the title role; indeed there wasn’t a weak link in the cast. Scene changes took too long and drained the drama somewhat but Sian Edwards ensured the orchestra was in top form.
The Rite of Spring – Phoenix Dance Theatre & Gianni Schicchi – Opera North, Leeds
Haitian rite
Jeanguy Saintus’ choreography for Stravinsky’s Rite channeled Haitian voodoo. I couldn’t follow it and one of the dancers was often out of synch but it was great nevertheless.
Melodic farce
Interesting double bill, coupling opera and ballet. Puccini’s farce is fine but crowned by the gorgeous ‘O mio babbino caro’ with Richard Burkhard as Schicchi and Tereza Gevorgyan as Lauretta. Excellent production and performances.
Opera North String Quartet – The Venue, Leeds
Brilliant performance of Schubert’s ‘Death and the Maiden’.
Magdalene Odundo: The Journey of Things, Hepworth Gallery – Wakefield
Gob smacked
This is a fantastic exhibition of Odundo’s amazing er pots. They are exquisitely beautiful and Farshid Moussavi has curated it in a fascinating way, contextualising the the work with objects ranging from recent to 5000 years old.
Beyond Belief, Tmesis Theatre, Square Chapel – Halifax
Well titled
All the interesting ideas of how our relationship with AI is going to transform our lives plonked onto the stage.
Liverpool Philharmonic – Varga, Liverpool
Great afternoon programme with Kristóf Baráti playing Mozart’s ‘Turkish’ concerto, which followed Haydn’s 49th. The orchestra swelled in part two for Wagner’s Faust Overture and Hary Janos by Kodaly. Could have done without conductor Gilbert Varga’s ‘old man’ flirting with the first violin.
Fitzwilliam Quartet, Howard Assembly Rooms – Leeds
Great programme that highlighted Beethoven’s ‘Harp’ quartet and Shostakovich’s Octet. I’d never heard the latter but it was played so well they encored the second movement.
Playlist
War and Peace, Lautten Compagney
Sharon Van Etten, Remind Me Tomorrow
Debussy, Dutilleux, Ravel: Quartets, Arcanto Qt
Books
Dark Pines, Will Dean
Transcription, Kate Atkinson
Studying Ida, Sheila Skaff
Hello World: How to be Human in the Age of the Machine, Helen Fry
The Medusa Chronicles, Stephen Baxter and Alastair Reynolds
XX, Angela Chadwick – quite brilliant
From a Low Quiet Sea, Donal Ryan
If Beale Street Could Talk, James Baldwin
January 2019
Playlist
Schubert: String quartets 14 & 9, Chiaroscuro Quartet
Suzanne Farrin: Dolce la morte
Stravinsky: Petrushka, Mariisky Orch – Gergiev
Nneka, My Fairy Tales
The Willows, Through the Wild
Lisa O’Neill, Heard a Long Gone Song
Books
Embers of War, Gareth L Powell
Defender, GX Todd
