Saved by Spotify
It is claimed Spotify killed off the record industry. But might Spotify ultimately save the music scene?
Rubens wronged
And there are too few truly exceptional pieces from the Flemish master for this show to shine
Jugglers v. dancers
Plus: a review of John Cranko’s three-hankie Onegin at the Royal Ballet and Young Men from the BalletBoyz
Cruel to be kind
The film doesn’t know whether to be warm and fun like Slumdog Millionaire or social and hard-hitting like City of God and is instead plodding and preposterous
Crime and punishment
Plus: a so-so production of The Marriage of Figaro at Opera North is rescued by some masterly conducting
The long goodbye
Plus: the truth behind Churchill’s funeral and how the dockers were bribed to lower their cranes
High life
It’s time to overcome our prejudices: give me Trump Towers over the Parthenon and rap over ‘Ode to Joy’
Real life
My iPad is dead. It’s a stiff, bereft of life, it rests in peace (but try telling that to Vodafone)
Long life
My brother John was more difficult to fathom than most. All there is to say really is that we loved him
Bridge
If you and your partner ever want to improve your bidding system, I can’t recommend Phil King highly enough as…
Magnificent Magnus
Magnus Carlsen has won first prize in the elite Tata Steel tournament at Wijk aan Zee, Holland. Leading scores out…
No. 347
White to play. This is a variation from Carlsen-Aronian, Wijk aan Zee 2015. Black has just played his bishop to…
Election blues
In Competition No. 2882 you were invited to submit a blues song written by a well-known politician contemplating the impending…
2196: Diverse
Round the perimeter clockwise goes a place (6) followed by a description of it (10 words, one hyphened) by one…
To 2193: Celebration II
The MUSICIAN (21), Rod Stewart CBE (25A), was born LXX (16) years ago on 10th January 1945. The associated works…
The proof is in the league tables, Mr Hunt
Why I’m praying for Labour to attack the Tories on education
Knight takes Abbott
Of all the potent weapons we never expected to see draw blood from lifelong political battler Tony Abbott, ridicule was…
