Birmingham
‘Where I grew up, classical music was diversity’: an interview with conductor Alpesh Chauhan
Richard Bratby talks to Birmingham Opera Company’s new music director Alpesh Chauhan about his Brummie roots, Bruckner and how his BAME heritage is a non-story
Until he discovered pop music, life was all Greek to Pete Paphides
Pop music has always been, to those who love it, to some degree tribal or factional; fans like to carve…
The financial logic behind HS2 is collapsing. It’s time to pull the plug
No one is in any doubt about the problem facing Britain’s railways. Over the past decade, rail fares have risen…
The deceptive charm of the bourgeoisie
Glimpsing the title of Lynsey Hanley’s absorbing new book as it fell out of the jiffy bag, I found myself…
Trevor Phillips's documentary on Muslims was shocking - but not surprising
‘Our findings will shock many people,’ promised Trevor Phillips at the beginning of What British Muslims Really Think (Channel 4,…
All washed up: Birmingham after the apocalypse
The dystopian novel in which a Ballardian deluge or viral illness transforms planet Earth has become something of a sub-genre,…
Stephen Hawking shows that all is not lost if by mischance you fall into a black hole
You don’t expect to be brought close to tears by the Reith Lectures, which are after all at the most…
Why most four-year-olds deserve to be sectioned
The first episode of Let Us Entertain You (BBC2, Wednesday) definitely couldn’t be accused of lacking a central thesis. Presenter…
English cities don’t have quarters – whatever the executives say
‘No quarter given,’ yelled my husband as he stabbed at a cushion with his stick, spoiling the cavalier effect a…
Tippett’s triumphant failure: Birmingham Opera Company’s The Ice Break reviewed
The Ice Break is Michael Tippett’s fourth opera, first produced at Covent Garden in 1977 and rarely produced anywhere since,…
Why radio is a surprisingly good medium for talking about art
You might think it a fool’s errand to attempt programmes about art on the wireless. How can you talk about…
The Islamic sermon that taught me what’s happened to Birmingham
Birmingham has changed a bit since I grew up there in the 1970s. Back then, the stories of the hour…
Cameron must reunite the Tories or lose the next election
No one goes to Birmingham to revive a marriage. But that is what David Cameron and the Conservative party must…
Let's face it – Ray Honeyford got it right on Islam and education
The Bradford head teacher was dismissed for emphasising nationality over religion. He should have been applauded
Portrait of the week
Home After an Ofsted inspection of 21 schools in Birmingham (none of them faith schools), against the background of allegations…
Now even Fifa’s dinosaurs have learned to cry racism
Are all white women really prostitutes who should be avoided, as some children at those schools in Birmingham were apparently…
Save our children from the Islamists
When will we stop the Islamists trying to control the minds of a generation of pupils?
The Spectator's Notes: Max Clifford's conviction vindicates juries. But so did the acquittals
The conviction of Max Clifford for indecent assaults feels like a vindication of the jury system, as did the acquittal…
Portrait of the week
Home Nigel Evans, who had resigned as deputy speaker before being cleared of a bundle of rape and sexual assault…
So now we know – the BBC is more scared of offending Muslims than gay people
Are there enough black and minority ethnic people on our television screens? The comedian Lenny Henry thinks not and has…
The Ikon Gallery's greatest hits
In a crowded storeroom at Ikon, Birmingham’s contemporary art gallery, its director Jonathan Watkins is unwrapping the pictures for his…
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