A selection of 'humour' articles

Classical music news. Del Mar-a-Lago Festival - Here are further details about the contemporary music festival mentioned in our April newsletter

A Crack in Time? - A rare Leap Day editorial from Keith Bramich

Classical music news. Obituary - Peter Schickele (1935-2024)

Classical music news. April 2023 Newsletter - Our 1 April 2023 PDF newsletter has just been published

A Delius Cookbook - Mike Wheeler reports on unusual rumours from Grez-sur-Loing in France

Opera Phantoms - George Colerick takes a light-hearted look at Ken Hill's influence on the old tale of 'The Phantom of the Opera'

A Perfect Fool - George Colerick discusses Gustav Holst and his Richard Wagner parody

Youthful Hilarity - George Colerick discusses comedy in Giuseppe Verdi's early opera 'Un Giorno di Regno'

CD Spotlight. Splice the Mainbrace - Red Priest's 'Pirates of the Baroque', heard by the late Howard Smith. 'The foursome are outrageous, hugely entertaining, and Red Priest take no prisoners.'

Ensemble. Sing ye to the Law - Jabez Hogsbarrow reports from the London International Contemporary Composers' Conference

Ask Alice - An mvdaily.com exclusive newsflash, from classical music agony aunt Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - Ten years to the day since the very first 'Ask Alice', our classical music agony aunt celebrates in the way she knows best

CD Spotlight. Farrago of Fun - The Hoffnung Music Festival Concert, recommended by Howard Smith. '... though these show their age, the sound remains adequate.'

A Whimsical Novel - Edmund Bealby-Wright's 'This Farewell Symphony', read by Karen Haid

Ensemble. An Invaluable Experience - 'Ariadne auf Naxos' in New York, appreciated by Gregory Moomjy

DVD Spotlight. Outrageously Flamboyant - Christian Lindberg as trombonist, composer and conductor, recommended by Ron Bierman. '... an extraordinary character ...'

Depth of Concentration - Stephen Kovacevich plays Beethoven, Schumann and Bach, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Poise and Vitality - Mike Wheeler listens to Lucille Burns and Catherine Milledge

CD Spotlight. Knowledge and Imagination - Lavinia Meijer plays recent music for harp, and impresses Paul Sarcich. '... an exceptional player ...'

Ensemble. Drama and Comedy - British humour under the Neapolitan sun, in 'L'Elisir d'Amore' in Rome and San Francisco, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Strongly Musical - Handel's 'Radamisto' at the London Coliseum, reviewed by Robert Hugill

Majesty, Moment and Control - Ben Bloor's concluding recital for Derby Cathedral's 2010 summer organ series impresses Tony Westerman

CD Spotlight. Powerful and Concise - Blomstedt conducts Richard Strauss, heard by Robert Anderson. '... a composer of infinite promise ...'

CD Spotlight. Sheer Delight - Table music by Biber, recommended by Patric Standford. '... a superb and sensitive performance ...'

CD Spotlight. Strength and Lyricism - Chamber music by Hugh Wood, heard by Patric Standford. '... taut stamina.'

Ensemble. Exquisite Music-making - Miklós Perényi and András Schiff at London's Wigmore Hall, heard by Malcolm Miller

Sensitively Played - A recital by Stephen Disley, heard by Mike Wheeler

Scholarship and Humour - Simon Lindley opens Derby Cathedral's summer season of organ recitals, reviewed by Tony Westerman

Ensemble. Pure Magic - Opera North's 'Rusalka', reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Great Fun - The Hallé Orchestra ends Nottingham's orchestral season, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Seventh Heaven - Christine Brewer and Craig Rutenberg's recital in Los Angeles, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Neatly Balanced - A City Lit music gala, enjoyed by Malcolm Miller

Ensemble. Pushing Back the Boundaries - London Sinfonietta's 'British Experiments', reviewed by Chris Graham

Ensemble. Under the Tuscan Sun - Giuseppe Pennisi attends the beginning of the Tiroler Festspiele 2010

Ensemble. Hilariously Funny - Arizona Opera's 'The Barber of Seville', appreciated by Maria Nockin

His Forever - My Love Affair with Johann Sebastian Bach, by Gloria DeVidas Kirchheimer

CD Spotlight. Huge Fun - J S Bach and a single popping cork, heard by Howard Smith. '... riven with eccentricities ...'

Ensemble. Soulful Intimacy - A concert by Yasmin Levy lingers in Malcolm Miller's memory

Ensemble. A Crisp Performance - 'Belshazzar' at the London Handel Festival, reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. The Quality of the Cooks - Verdi comic operas on stage, tasted by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Miniaturist Skills - Music by Carey Blyton, heard by Patric Standford. '... a delight for both performer and listener.'

Refreshingly Imaginative - A recital by Helen Reid impresses Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Too Good to Miss - Robert Hugill was at the first night of Tchaikovsky's 'The Tsarina's Slippers' at Covent Garden

CD Spotlight. Captivating Repertoire - Latin music from Quartet San Francisco, recommended by Howard Smith. '... constantly alive to dynamic nuances and lyrical subtleties ...'

Ensemble. Lyrical Athleticism - The Paul Taylor Dance Company and the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra celebrate Paul Taylor's eightieth birthday, reviewed by Rebecca Schmid

Ensemble. Profoundly Beautiful - William Christie's 'Dido and Aeneas' impresses Robert Hugill

CD Spotlight. Mozart across Niagara - Peter Hatch's 'Wiki Mozart' delights Jennifer Paull. '... an intoxicating cocktail.'

Ensemble. Sterling Performances - Donizetti's 'Linda di Chamounix', heard by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Another Treat - Martinu's 'Mirandolina' at Garsington Opera, by Roderic Dunnett

Nights at the Turntable - ... or, Ritter aus der Schallplatte, by Reginald Twiddlebrain, reviewer to the stars. '... enough to make one weep.'

Ask Alice - Classical Music Agony Aunt Alice McVeigh deals with Disgusted of Greater London

Taming the lion - Jabez Dolotz talks to British conductor Sir Henry Collard-Barker about experiences in and out of the concert hall

Ask Alice - Paganini on the mandolin, piano pupils and Bush's latest deal, with classical music agony aunt Alice McVeigh

Double Reed Disorder - 'With most reverent and obsequious apologies to all them that are heavy-laden with bassoon and shall find not rest, herein', by Jennifer Paull

Ask Alice - Playing 'Fiddler on the Roof' at wedding receptions, with classical music agony aunt Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - On the banning and sacking of conductors, with classical music agony aunt Alice McVeigh

Reminiscent retrospectives - Fritzin' the Looking-Glass - On the second anniversary of Fritz Spiegl's death, Jennifer Paull looks into his witty reflection and recalls musical frustrations and fun with Fritz

Ask Alice - On kissing, washing and Tartini rosin, with classical music agony aunt Alice McVeigh

'Postlude' and other nonsense - by Jennifer Paull

CD Spotlight. New ears - The primeTime sublime Community Orchestra, reviewed by Robert Hugill. '... this whole disc is about horrifying purists.'

Ensemble. Mystic chanting - Elica Lupus-Popescu journeys to hear the lost pipers of Iasi

Ask Alice - A heartfelt 'cri-de-coeur' from classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - Busking amongst the sheep and speed cameras, classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh, live this week from Wales

Ask Alice - On diction and eye jobs, with classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh, live this week from Brighton pier

Ask Alice - On first love and Art, with classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - On anonymous Christmas cards, with classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - Recent changes in UK legislation impinge on the world of classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - More questions and answers with Alice McVeigh, during which our Agony Aunt's cover is finally blown ...

Ask Alice - Choristers and Christmas gifts, with classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - Conductors' handshakes and solo bows, with classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - Problems of the back and the leg, dealt swift blows by classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - Classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh, deals with problems of food and light ...

Ask Alice - On machines and men, with classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - Classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh, apologises to her Welsh readers

Ask Alice - A brush with the law for classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - On changing teachers, with classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - Freedom, A Serf's Charter, by classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

Fair game? - Is a little insanity good for the creative process? D C Ruiz talks to Paul Minotto about the primeTime Sublime Community Orchestra

Ask Alice - More questions and answers with classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - Classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh, on poetry

Ask Alice - The agony aunt and the butterfly, by Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - DGriffs is not amused by classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - Classical music's agony aunt Alice McVeigh visits Legoland (?!)

Ask Alice - On spiders and singing ... from classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - More answers from classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - Classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh, is back (!!!!!!!)

Ensemble. Musical evangelism - Piers Adams' group Red Priest amazes Keith Bramich

Ask DGriffs - A flood of correspondence for M&V's newly appointed 'agony uncle'

Ask Alice - Men problems this week for classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - Another eye-opening selection from classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - Practical advice from classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - Trouble with emails this week for classical music agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

CD Spotlight. Fertile imagination - Arrangement with a vengeance from Red Priest, reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... never a dull moment and entertainment value paramount.'

Ask Alice - Our classical music 'agony aunt', Alice McVeigh, tackles more questions

Ask Alice - more questions to Alice McVeigh, the 'agony aunt' of classical music

Ask Alice - more of your questions answered by our classical music agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

Ask Alice - in the first of a new series, Alice McVeigh, cellist, author and 'agony aunt' of classical music, answers your questions

Nuggets of advice - Alice McVeigh's 'All Risks Musical', read by Keith Bramich

The Bell Tolls too soon for Derek - A tribute to Derek Bell (1935-2002) of The Chieftains, by Jennifer Paull

Profile - A musical enchantress. On the anniversary of Cathy Berberian's death, Jennifer Paull remembers the legendary singer who cast musical spells

Classical Spam - Professor Oliphant Chuckerbutty returns to investigate the intriguing subject of musicians' unwanted emails ...

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold drags from oblivion the last in a series of music you will not know. 33. A Royal Composer

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 32. Stravinsky's Final Period Works

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 31. Bartok's Original 4th String Quartet

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 30. Strauss's Tone Poem 'Der Hund von die Baskervilles'

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 29. Elgar: The Missing 'Enigma Variations'

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 28. Fibich's 'Moods, Impressions and Reminiscences'

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 27. Schumann's 'Blumenkinderstücke'

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 26. Chopin's 'Cantate de Noël'

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 25. Purcell's 'Welcome Ode on Pepys's Recovery from the Bladderstone'

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold returns with a final series of music you will not know, dragged from oblivion. 24. John Taverner's 44-part motet, 'The Cryes of London'

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 23. Gustav Holst's 'Pluto', from The Planets (rev.)

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 22. Esrum Hellerup: An Unknown Composer

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 21. Rubbra's Comedy Overture

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 20. Respighi's trittico The Bistros of Rome

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 19. Charles Ives's Grand Metropolitan Hotel, New York City

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 18. Reger's Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Satie

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 17. Fauré's Saxophone Concertino

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 16. Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta, Billy Budd

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 15. Berlioz's Études for Piano

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 13. Beethoven's English Folk-Song Arrangements

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 6. Bruckner's Cabaret Songs

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 5. Schoenberg's Rhapsody on Greensleeves

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 4. The A.E. Housman settings of Elgar, Smyth and Boulez

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 3. Messiaen's ballet-music The Wind in the Willows

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 2. Wagner's String Trio

Rejected Reviews or, works that got away - Trevor Hold has dragged from oblivion some music you will not know. 1. Brahms's opera Tom Jones

Feature - Avril Ngaire Poisson and Europe