A conviction singer who convinces
Folk Songs: Magdalena Kozena/Simon Rattle (Pentatone)
A world in transition
Valentin Bibik: Complete Sonatas for Violin and Piano (Indésens)
A Wodehousian pick-me-up
Noel Coward and Friends: A Marvellous Party (Signum Classics)
Christmas, irresistibly
Lise Davidsen: Christmas from Norway (Decca)/Miracle of Miracles (Cedille)
Notes of promise
Bruce Liu: Waves (Deutsche Grammophon)
Have I seen the future of music?
On a performance in three dimensions for all five senses
A giant dipper of delights
BBC Legends Volume 4 (ICA Classics)
A celebration of redemption
Handel: Israel in Egypt (Avie)
Over-simplified and underpowered
Shostakovich symphonies 2, 3, 12, 13 (DG)
Flickering with fire and ice
Beethoven: 1st piano concerto, &c (DG)
Up for the cup
Hoping for a golfing renaissance in Rome
The fantasy world of Anglo-Afrocentrism
History is being twisted for political purposes
Ideas, influence and international politics
The academic origins of geopolitics explained
Sunak’s dilemma
What do you do when all your choices are bad ones?
A circular firing squad
The Conservatives have no one but each other to blame
Can’t art ever just be happy?
Whilst the British art world wallowed in misery, John Craxton led a one man rebellion for the cause of cheer
Confected outrage doesn’t change the facts about the family
Why does British political debate often disregard children’s interests?
Coolness and cancellation
We should not just people with problematic pasts by how much we like their work
A boring night in Zaporizhia
Hope and struggle in a city with no time for fatigue
A conference that really was for women
The difference between the Labour Conference and FiLia could not have been more stark
What’s at stake in the culture wars?
Not only are they real but they are of grave importance
