Sarah Kirkland Snider’s new opera re the medieval composer & abbess, Hildegard, focuses on her subject’s experience of chronic illness. I’m intrigued by Snider’s evocation of ‘Hildegard’s revolutionary reframe of illness as a generative spiritual force’ #Chronicillness #CFS/ME #womencomposers

The first complete recording of the compelling songs of British composer, Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979) [1979!!] Given a great write up here: www.theguardian.com/music/2025/n...

Happy Birthday to the wonderful French composer Germaine Tailleferre. I especially love her piano and chamber works

Brilliant, as usual, from @rhaplord.bsky.social

Fascinated to learn that St Augustine, born in Algiers, was a Berber, an Indigenous North African ethnic group.

I’d forgotten that Sarah Remond became a British citizen. In her application to the British government, she argued this was necessary due to racial prejudice in the USA and the ‘social disabilities’ people of African descent suffered there. www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-...

Beautiful photograph of anti-slavery activist Sarah Remond. Remond also spent 3 years in Britain, arriving in 1859. She studied at Bedford College, but continued to give public lectures across the country.

Great thread from @britsymphcup.bsky.social on the evocative music of British composer Freda Swain

V severe long covid is so hard to convey. Beloved teenage nephew from Oz is staying with us for a week. I haven’t seen him for 6 yrs. As my brain can’t cope with the stimulation of seeing visitors my aim is to literally wave to him once. Not posting this for sympathy… 1/2

V severe long covid is so hard to convey. Beloved teenage nephew from Oz is staying with us for a week. I haven’t seen him for 6 yrs. As my brain can’t cope with the stimulation of seeing visitors my aim is to literally wave to him once. Not posting this for sympathy… 1/2

My lovely friend @aoyarzabal.bsky.social was the subject of a frightening verbal assault by a xenophobe in London today. He writes, ‘If you ever witness something like this — please don’t look away. Check in with the person being targeted. A small act of kindness can make a huge difference.’

In MASSIVE news, we’ve got a new scrabble dictionary. The day I’ve long been waiting for:

Fancy listening to something different? Four gorgeous musical choices of works by women composers here

Female leaders on the East African coast, pre colonialism

Martin Spychal explores how Ronald Gower’s privileged position ‘allowed him to play an influential role in shaping, and to an extent asserting, queer identities during the late nineteenth century.’

This looks brilliant! Love the idea of using the format of a scrapbook to present queer history: ‘Collecting has been a way for the marginalised to explore and assert identity and community’

Oxford people - this looks great - public lecture on ‘The Maritime Closet’ by Santanu Das. 21 October, 7pm. It’s free but you need to register: oclw.web.ox.ac.uk/event/public...

Political institutions in pre-colonial Africa - brilliant blog as always from @rhaplord.bsky.social

Been v. poorly lately, but today managed to see my beautiful, gentle giant of a son. Only 4 mins but we mostly laughed and it was SO BRILLIANT. I even managed quite a lot of eye contact which is hard when I’m not good (any other long haulers find this?) ✊ #longcovid #CFS #MEcfs #ME

This is such a lovely meditation on the importance of human teachers v. AI Not up to reading v. much atm, but so pleased I managed these paragraphs — totally worth it

Great news! A grant to assist the performance of women composers

Oh, loving this news!

Music and queerness: this review, and the work in question, seem important interventions in the field

Oxford people: a talk for the diary. @roseteanby.bsky.social has done brilliant research on C19 female photographers

One of Britain’s leading composers, Eleanor Alberga

People working on disability history:

I so love @rhaplord.bsky.social’s work on urbanism in pre-colonial Africa. Looking forward to reading what is sure to be another illuminating thread

Are you doing blossom over there (29 Sept) @cellocorb.bsky.social ? OMG - pangram city!

Still recovering from taking shower on Thurs. To keep self gently active looked a little into composer Edith Grey (can’t even google her)Jackpot! Grey (1874-1935) trained at Leipizig conservatory. She used money earned from her works to fund music projects in her Devon community😀 #longcovid #CFS ✊

What an extraordinary person - truly awe-inspiring

If you need two mins of something beautiful in your day today look no further than this nocturne by Avril Coleridge-Taylor. Exquisitely played by @aoyarzabal.bsky.social

‘…but for the strength and presence of mind of George Mack, a Negro porter, she would have been killed. Mr Mack was not lynched’.

Gorgeous piece of music by Ayo Bankole, brought to us by the awesome @rebecaomordia.bsky.social

Totally agree. It’s a fantastic musical achievement. @cellocorb.bsky.social even includes a fragment from Sappho 😮

A general rule of life: @cadebellaigue.bsky.social is always, *always* worth listening to

A general rule of life: @cadebellaigue.bsky.social is always, *always* worth listening to

Yes, this is about morris dancing….but what a great essay! It includes the connections to early C20 music and to the suffragettes; explores the role of women; the gendered dynamics; & the complexities of navigating ‘Englishness’ whilst remaining progressive.

My daughter & I have both had severe long covid for 5 yrs. Out of the blue, in the last couple of weeks, my daughter’s heart/POTS issues have started to resolve. She’s now able to sit up most of the day, rather than lying. Life changing! So happy! HOPE & ✊ to all going through it #longcovid #pots

Congratulations to @slagstadk.bsky.social on the publication of this important new book on the history of trans medicine

Another brilliant piece by @rhaplord.bsky.social on the richness of premodern African history. Here, tracing intensive farming technologies, such as West African rice cultivation, dating back centuries.

Reposting to 🙏@mainewitch.bsky.social for her work on the British composer Kalitha Dorothy Fox (1894-1934). @mainewitch.bsky.social also has a great thesis on the “Forgotten Tales of Women Composers” who studied at the RCM in the interwar years. So important to excavate these unknown women.

Women’s Institute statement: ‘Transgender women are welcome to join the WI and to participate in any WI activities in the same way as any other woman.’ Often patronised and stereotyped but from the start (1915) @womensinstitute.bsky.social fought for change: equal pay & women’s role in public life.

‘it was probably the most disturbing scent I've ever smelled’ - here’s someone who’s never tried one of my ‘Sniff it n Bin’ aromatherapy blends 😂 [‘Sniff it ‘n’ Bin it’ is the bedbound aromatherapy studio I started in the early days of long covid 🧪 👃 🗑️]

“Hallie Quinn Brown’s skills as an elocutionist taught thousands of Black people the power of spoken language during a period in which they were not expected and welcomed to be a political force. We are still in that period.” By Dr. Mia L. Carey.

Wow - Hallie Q. Brown, daughter of enslaved parents. She graduated from Wilberforce University in 1873 with a BSc. In the 1880s she became dean of Allen University, Columbia. Thank you @proenzacoles.bsky.social for introducing me/us to such inspiring people

One of the very wealthiest people in 4th century York was a young woman with African ancestry. The luxurious, imported items in her sarcophagus included a bracelet made of elephant ivory.

First it was the ‘compassionate’ Arnold Bax chasing [grooming?] the teenage Harriet Cohen and now this! I just had a look and unbelievably, the 2001 Grove entry for Gabriel Faure STILL says this:

It's a lot to ask of a spaniel www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

This is fascinating: DNA analysis of two 7th century cemetries in Southern England found one person from each had a recent ancestor from West Africa.

Reading about Harriet Cohen who won an award aged 18 for being the most distinguished musician at the RAM! But UGH not enjoying the relationship with Arnold Bax stuff. He was infatuated & began to write to her from their 1st meeting when was 16. He was newly married and…[brace yourselves] 1/2