Machine learning is a neat tool, but clearly companies are desperate to give “AI” credit for what human scholars accomplish in part because companies have bet the farm on the idea that human ingenuity is expendable. This historian is extraordinary and deserves the real credit.

great to hear the unstoppable Matt Wadsworth in this feature on 200 years of Braille music notation https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002jst7?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

Roland Space Echo onstage #totp

as of today, MUNGREL STUFF is available again on Bandcamp: over 70 minutes of 18th-century Scottish-Italian & Italian-Scottish musical experiments in all their ridiculous glory. Get it here concertocaledonia.bandcamp.com/album/mungrel-stuff

yesterday's organ tourism, at the 1970s-tastic Hradetzky in St Salvator's chapel in St Andrews, which my Buxtehude score reminded me I had played once before. Chris Bragg also showed me the amazing new Laidlaw Music Centre with its moving floor and reverberation chamber in the roof - wow!

today's organ tourism, on the wonderful early 18th-century styled Ahrend organ in the Reid Concert Hall, University of Edinburgh. I gave a recital on this about 30 years ago, can't remember what I played ...

Are you young, highly educated and driven, and want to contribute to our stagnant economy with its aging population and low productivity? Well out you go

well, this is both genuinely brilliant and properly hilarious. Martin Parr just doing what he does https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002j0v3

this morning: Bach on the 1844 Broadwood piano in the concert hall, this evening: pipe tunes with the organ in the chapel. Not bad for a Monday. #UofG

So chuffed that this album from 2001 is available once again: a bunch of Scottish-Italian and Italian-Scottish music from nearly 300 years ago, and still one of the favourite things I’ve done, for the sheer joyful weirdness of it.

great to see this available again, with a powerful performance of Sergeant Where's Mine, and a truly virtuosic fart routine which the subtitler clearly enjoyed too. The assistant camera back in 1975 was Jan Pester who later gave me my first jobs writing music for TV! www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

nice to be reminded tonight of the joy of practising in a Gothic revival chapel on a summer evening

spotted my first PLASTICINE ACTION t-shirt in the wild tonight in the Three Judges ✅

From Tom Leonard’s INTIMATE VOICES 1965–1983 (Galloping Dog Press, 1984)

A question people should ask themselves, but rarely do: What would you do if, tomorrow, Google, Apple, Microsoft, Dropbox, and every other cloud provider you use closed your account without warning? Then maybe spend some of today safeguarding against that eventuality.

youtu.be/KidL8T-Wzy8?... Here's the link. Saturday 26th July. One night only. Chat opens 7.00pm Performance 7.30pm #Cardiacs

Young refuseniks burn their IOF draft papers in the middle of Tel Aviv They refuse to serve in the Israeli Occupation Forces, and are willing to go to military jail for their position. The new generation of refuseniks is supported by the older, many of them spent months in jail already

The entire UK political/media narrative on welfare is that it is "burgeoning", "a burden" & "unsustainable". But how high is it compared to others? UK welfare at 10.8% of GDP in 2023 (including pensions). Finland spends 25.7% of GDP; France 23.8%: both double the UK.

If I write to my MP saying how disgraceful it is that he supported the proscription of Palestine Action, will that now be classed as terrorism?

EXC: Labour have been branded 'deeply authoritarian' after reports emerged that the UK Government is set to proscribe Palestine Action 👇

all these bands that I wanted to see when I was 12 (but was too young to get in) I can now hear from the comfort of my back garden as the sound crosses the river from Bellahouston Park

back from the sleeping giant, I can report that Wooleys of Arran is a properly top-tier local Scottish bakery (the Bakehouse in Blackwaterfoot is superb too) #priorities

a useful reminder https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jun/10/the-misogyny-of-the-metaverse-is-mark-zuckerbergs-dream-world-a-no-go-area-for-women?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Ireland has opinions

My #Lego homage to Raymond Depardon’s iconic #Glasgow photography.

of course Netanyahu using Eurovision to prop up his reputation can get to absolute f*ck, BUT the BSL interpreter who signed the Finnish entry and managed to upstage Erika Vikman deserves everyone's highest praise. Virtuoso stuff, 1hr 16mins in. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

why indeed … https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/10/police-raid-london-quaker-meeting-house-very-worrying?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

it's published! finally! in this week's newsletter: my attempt to go through every single reason why I both dislike and distrust generative AI: youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/11-things-... [free to read!]

so good to see this being covered - Flourish is absolutely vital to its members and transformative in so many ways. There's something very special about the place.

great piece about the Argyle Street tree, which we already knew was famous when I grew up there 50-odd years ago

Are you a music and arts programmer? At @uofglasgow.bsky.social we're looking for one! www.jobs.gla.ac.uk/job/music-ar...

Good morning from Iona! We’re on air in less than an hour … better finish my breakfast https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0029x7q

back home from rehearsal with Mhairi Lawson for our appearance on Radio 3’s Saturday morning show with Tom Service, live from Iona for Easter. My Estey folding reed organ will be making the trip too, so will we manage to sneak in an Ivor Cutler song?

This is organist Olena Kohut, killed today in Sumy by the Russian missile. Joseph Rheinberger, Visione, op. 156 no. 5 💔

Anti AI piece in the New York Times and another in CNN from the excellent @amorrow.bsky.social. Something is changing. amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/03/...

today’s wtaf moment www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-eve...

This might seem minor. But it’s, you know, kind of against the law. We really could do with some basic consequences. I mean, for the bastards forcing their awful, don’t-give-a-fuck who’s-gonna-stop-me world on us. I don’t mean the sort of terrible consequences they’re forcing on us.

But this isn’t a done deal yet. With at least a year before cuts come into force, there’s still time for the UK government to rethink. You can help us call for change. Email your MP now action.trussell.org.uk/disability-c...

Hello, Radio 3. Do you have a picture of The King’s Singers holding a press conference at their Silicon Valley headquarters to announce their opposition to all forms of tax?

just one week to go to apply for this, if you're a creative practical musician who could be interested in a part-time academic career >>>>>

Severed head of King George V statue may have resurfaced at Irish rappers gig! A joyous reminder of Nelson’s head which was decapitated from his statue in Dublin 1966 and cropped up onstage at a Dubliners gig. Might have been the Wolfe Tones too.

Four nights a week, 60-something Michael is outside a chicken shop on Woodlands Road, teaching Glaswegians how to play chess. How did he get there?

The fact that Apple keeps turning Apple Intelligence on for you automatically whenever you update the OS is probably an indication that you should turn it off.

New writing - on music editors! www.nytimes.com/2025/03/11/a...

Are you a creative practical musician who might be suited to a part-time academic career? If so, you've still got a couple of weeks to apply for this >>>>>

he's still got it - and @timsuttonmusic.bsky.social's twisted cabaret song at the end is wonderful. thank you also to BBC Sounds for actually crediting the musicians! www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

a rare chance to join our team at @uofglasgow.bsky.social Music - a 0.5FTE part-time lectureship in Creative Practice www.jobs.gla.ac.uk/job/lecturer...