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What We Really Do
My second book, What We Really Do, was published by the Musical Times. It was indeed launched on October 15th 2003 on the occasion of my 50th birthday, and within three weeks of the 30th anniversary of...
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Future publications
I am considering a third book. This would take the form of a series of essays, in the nature of jottings, mopping up some of the untied ends which are loose in my head. Here is a possible list of...
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Byrd’s Mass for Four Voices in Lusaka
As calling cards go, renaissance polyphony would not seem to promise a ticket to anywhere much, unless to heaven. When I started giving concerts in 1973 the received wisdom on the subject, even in the...
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Zeitgeist, assumptions, and a pope in Oz
People make assumptions about how other people think, and then influence the zeitgeist by broadcasting their findings. There is a circularity to this rule of thumb which is ultimately sterile, but...
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A new British ‘tradition’
Now that the Allegri Miserere season is fully launched – the text is suitable for Lent – it seems fitting to ask why every choir in the land thinks it incumbent on them to sing this piece of music, for...
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The drama of the Passion outperforms even the most tragic opera
The following article appeared in The Times of London on the 9th April, as part of a series of articles dedicated to Holy Week. To see it in its original form visit www.timesonline.co.uk and type in my...
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When is it acceptable?
Someone needs to write a history of vibrato. Clearly this should be Roger Norrington: to judge from his words on Radio Three recently he has given the topic much thought and come up with some...
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Out of harmony
The current exhibition at the Tate Modern (‘Rodchenko and Popova: Defining Constructivism’, until 17 May) is rich in cultural reference, apart from any reference to music. Here we have Popova...
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Phillips on Cardus
The following book review will appear in the autumn issue of the Musical Times. Cardus – Celebrant of Beauty A Memoir by Robin Daniels The Elusive Mr Cardus Letters and Other writings edited by Bob...
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Singing or conducting?
This article will appear in the Spectator magazine dated October 17th Someone somewhere recently asked me in a public forum whether I would prefer to be a singer, the conductor or a member of the...
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