Happy #DarwinDay

Just listened to the first episode. What a lovely thing it is. Will definitely be adding to my comfort listening podcasts.

Find out more about improvisation at the RCM in Upbeat magazine: bit.ly/RCMimprov

Don't miss our latest Music and Ideas talk: Mozart Improvised, Why Don't We? Today at 5.15pm in the Performance Hall, Dr Gerardo Gozzi and RCM students explore the Royal College of Music's unique improvisation course, and how it equips musicians for versatile careers. www.rcm.ac.uk/events/detai...

Seen a few people recently saying there are too many podcasts, which I completely get, but it doesn’t seem to be something people say about music, art, books etc etc. Anyway, it’s there, and it’s free, and nobody’s forcing you to listen to it, but also do please listen to it.

Radio for Small Prophets fans Pearce Quigley: put-upon caretaker, Plum House www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand... Mackenzie Crook: hapless store manager, North by Northamptonshire www.penguin.co.uk/books/442786... Michael Palin: signalman-poet, John Finnemore's Double Acts www.penguin.co.uk/books/435124...

What's that, Adrian Scarborough? Lev's got a new podcast and you're mentioned?

I started a podcast. It’s called Six Things. Each month, a guest brings six things and we talk about them. It’s as simple as that. Massage your ears with the first episode, featuring @joannawyld.bsky.social’s fine selection. Available on your favoured ear-massaging platform. pod.link/1873642106/e...

BREAKING NEWS: We’re absolutely thrilled to announce that the Southbank Centre - the Hayward Gallery, Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall and skaters undercroft - has finally been Grade II listed by DCMS after a 35 year long campaign. ➡️ c20society.org.uk/news/southba...

Lovely use of 'delicacy'

NO WAY HOW ORIGINAL

Finding so many treasures in the record collection of my wonderful father-in-law who died recently, aged 90. Lovely to find that on this recording of Holst conducting The Planets, his daughter, Imogen Holst, wrote the sleeve notes. She was also a composer.

My notes on Górecki's Three Pieces in Old Style (based on early Polish music) for yesterday's BBC National Orchestra of Wales concert, which should be available to listen to on Sounds soon: www.bbc.co.uk/proms/extra/...

Oooh Orlando Bloom just got skewered on a pitchfork in this midsomer murders. Hurray!

Janet Malcolm said rereading Franny and Zooey was no less rewarding than rereading Gatsby. She didn't say anything about reading it for the first time, though...

what kind of twisted dystopian society puts a donna summer on the teevee and expects viewers ever to recover from that ♥️♥️♥️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8un...

Enthralling stuff from another age! youtu.be/GXvN0jYp8Oc?...

Wey up high!

This clip is marvelous. The best bits begin at 14:40 including a tour of the interior. Barbican, 1969: The development of the Barbican Estate following World War II youtu.be/vLPlJsoVq8k?...

One day it will be sunny again. In the meantime....

Delighted to discover that there's a Ligeti piano étude called 'Melancholic Pigeon'

This sounds like a good offer until you click on the Airbnb description, which reads as though it's been written by a serial killer

Writing up a Teams interview during which the artist said, 'I had an interview with Tatler a couple of weeks ago', but the transcript has written this as, 'I had an interview with a toddler a couple of weeks ago', and I think I prefer the transcript version

what if we kissed while singing little tunes from the 15th century heart shaped book of french love songs ?

Such hard work to do this show every couple of years, mostly cos I cannot stop giggling ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

Well, it is FUN to be back! I had the best evening at the Radio Theatre, recording the first couple of eps for the new series (with help from the brilliant and hysterical Islam Issa and @adamrutherford.bsky.social). And with help from you guys, the best audience in radio 🐝

Happily every episode of The Great Natalie is there, including this which, I am very proud to notice, is from very early days: she got me in to talk about Agrippina in series 2! www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Loved being back in the BBC Radio Theatre last night for another @nataliehaynes.bsky.social Stands up for the Classics recording, with guests @adamrutherford.bsky.social and Islam Issa. Laughed and learned a lot; a great couple of episodes on Alexandrian scientists

(closing the menu and handing it back to the waiter) whatever's most sumptuous

“Oh can you believe it? All the reds and all the blacks, then he’s missed an easy green. But still, a marvellous break of yan-tan-tan there.”

can’t believe I’ve just got to make a John Virgo Harrison birtwistle joke. Don’t think my year gets any better realistically

where’s the Oockooing Bird going????

Of course, Birtwistle known for his piece Panic, inspired by the god Pan. Ooh, that's a bad myth

John Virgo: Harrison Birtwistle Grew up in Lancashire, Marmite character capable of alienating audiences – but much loved with it RIP JV

Seven characters, four seasons, and one pretend gardener... Immerse yourself in tangled vines of playfulness and poignancy in Mozart’s La finta giardiniera – our spring opera is on sale now! Book for performances on 16, 18, 20 and 21 March: bit.ly/rcm_opera

Prince Phillip's helicopter flew into the grounds made Judith's day.

Jill McDonald in Puffin Post absolutely rinsing the poets & I include myself in those being absolutely beautifully bodied here

Thank you! I think I assumed the ‘museum of random stuff in my bedroom which my parents were patiently shown round’ thing was just me so I was particularly pleased to hear the discussion about thing 6.

Like look at this guy! Old Sam Neill doesn’t need to be de-aged, young Sam Neill needs to be made older and have a pig

Could today be the day when I have my second number one book*? (*number one on the Music Kindle chart, that is) #IntoTheGroove

Tonight's episode of Midsomer Murders is one of the ones I mentioned during this lovely chat with Lev: Adrian Scarborough as an obsessive bellringer, 8pm, ITV3. I'll resist a tweetalong but recall it being a funny one, and certainly better than yesterday's Night Manager finale...

The first episode of Six Things podcast – featuring the marvellous @joannawyld.bsky.social and her very fine choice of six things that give her joy – is now on Apple and should be filtering through to other ear-massaging outlets any time now. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/s...

I've almost doubled the number of entries in the music notation timeline this year alone--and it's hard to believe that in a year this resource will have been online for a decade! silpayamanant.wordpress.com/timeline-of-...

Two of my favourite people here. You can listen to it, or you can read it! Excellent.

What the fuck was that #TheNightManager

You had me at Carnyx! But then, wait—pooping duck! “It’s a valveless brass instrument that would have been played vertically, so sort of sticking upright, and the mouth of it is usually in the shape of an animal head. And this was used by Celtic tribes, people like the Icenis, so Boudicca.“ 1/3