Archive for the ‘Inspirations’ Category

A ‘Strictly’ for pianists?

Posted by Susan Tomes on 7 November 2021 under Daily Life, Inspirations  •  4 Comments

I was discussing ‘Strictly’ with a friend who’s also a fan of the show. He asked me: ‘How do you think it would work if celebrities were partnered with professional pianists, to learn to play the piano in a few weeks and then perform, say, a piano concerto in front of a TV audience?’ I […]

‘Es ist genug’: Bach’s chorale opens a BBCSO concert

Posted by Susan Tomes on 27 September 2021 under Concerts, Daily Life, Inspirations  •  1 Comment

One of the most depressing sights of lockdown in Edinburgh – for me, anyway – was the sight of the Usher Hall being turned into a Covid test centre. I know that test centres are important. But it seemed a sad change of fortune for the first big concert hall I got to know. In […]

Publication day for ‘The Piano – a History in 100 Pieces’

Posted by Susan Tomes on 13 July 2021 under Books, Inspirations  •  2 Comments

My new book comes out today. Perhaps there’s no real significance to the formal publication date, especially as pre-ordered copies have been landing on people’s doormats for a week or two now – but still, it feels like a day to be happy. I made a YouTube playlist to go with the book, featuring twenty […]

Giving the public a glimpse of the jury’s reasoning in music competitions

Posted by Susan Tomes on 21 June 2021 under Concerts, Inspirations, Musings  •  1 Comment

Last week I followed the Cardiff Singer of the World competition on TV with great enjoyment through all the rounds. I was so impressed with these singers who, despite a year of lockdown and no opportunities to sing to live audiences, were able to come out and perform so generously to a hall empty of […]

A bunch of pianists get together after lockdown

Posted by Susan Tomes on 31 May 2021 under Daily Life, Inspirations  •  Leave a comment

At the weekend a bunch of us, all pianists, got together to be sociable and  listen to one another play some live music. One of us had realised that the layout of her house offered the opportunity for us to obey current rules while still enjoying some piano music. Her piano was near the French […]