The plotting to find the next Pope
The Hollywood adaptation of Conclave, Robert Harris’s thriller about a conspiracy to rig a papal election, won’t be in cinemas…
Thank goodness Busoni’s Piano Concerto is returning to the Proms
On 5 August, Ferruccio Busoni’s Piano Concerto will be performed at the Proms for only the second time. It should…
The real reason I don’t drink
It’s been 30 years this month since I last touched alcohol and I still can’t face the prospect of a…
The mutilation of Radio 3
On Saturday 12 December 1964, Harold Wilson addressed his first Labour party conference as prime minister, George Harrison was photographed…
The wonder of Jon Pertwee and his frilly shirt
When a friend asked if I wanted anything for Christmas I took a deep breath and replied: ‘Well, maybe I…
What do sugar and cocaine have in common?
Stephen Fry is a national treasure whom half the nation can’t stand. He drops his façade of loveability mid-chortle as…
How not to talk to builders
It’s week eight of the installation of a cheap Ikea kitchen in my flat, and an Albanian builder is slumped…
Rejoice that Hyperion’s impeccable back catalogue is finally available to stream
At the beginning of the 1980s a former ice-cream salesman called Ted Perry drove a London minicab to raise money…
So which Naomi do you think I am? The saga of Klein vs Wolf
Naomi Klein had got used to being confused with Naomi Wolf. Then Covid hit and it was no longer a joke
Why I had to let go of my late sister’s house
Why I had to let go of my late sister’s house
Why is this genius playing to a half-empty Royal Albert Hall? Benjamin Grosvenor Prom reviewed
There were times during last Friday’s First Night of the Proms when it felt as if we’d been transported back…
Has the Vatican abandoned beauty?
Has the Vatican abandoned beauty?
The search for the next pontiff is turning ugly
The search for the next pontiff is turning ugly
The greatest female composer you’ve never heard of
One of the most intriguing piano concertos of the late 19th century is unknown to the public – and no…
The coronation music was – mostly – a triumph
Sir Hubert Parry was upgraded from knight bachelor to baronet by King Edward VII in 1902, and my goodness he…
