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I’ve been writing this blog since 2009, but there still seem to be plenty of interesting topics to mull over. You can subscribe (it’s free) to follow the blog by email – each new post will pop into your inbox.
Look, no hands
I've been remembering a little conversation which happened years ago when a fellow musician was giving me a lift to the Tube station in London. I was on my way to play a concert. As I was getting out of the car, he said to me: 'Have you got your music?' 'Yes.' 'Have...
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Different audiences, different reactions
I have been going to events at the Edinburgh Jazz Festival. There seems to be a lot of overlap between the audiences, because I keep seeing the same faces. It's interesting to observe the effects that different performers have on the audiences. Some performers banter...
Wimbledon fortnight improves my playing
Wimbledon Championship Fortnight is halfway through and I have spent quite a lot of time watching tennis, with occasional breaks for some piano practice. Whenever I watch a lot of tennis, or more particularly when I listen to a lot of expert commentary, I feel that my...
Does melody ‘lie behind us’?
Adam Gopnik, speaking yesterday on Radio 4’s ‘A Point of View’ about the Beatles, ended his talk with a thought-provoking idea about melody and harmony. ‘Melody lies behind us, and calls us to our memories of a better past’, he said. ‘Harmony always lies ahead… as the...
‘Out of Silence’ comes out in Japanese
Today in Tokyo, the first copies of Noriko Ogawa's translation of my book 'Out of Silence' roll off the press. The cover (see photo) is much the same as the British edition's, but my name appears in Japanese, with Noriko's name alongside it as translator. I feel...
Dragonflies
After a week of dreadful weather, the sun actually came out in London this morning. Bob and I abandoned our plans and rushed up to the local Common, along with lots of other people who were clearly thinking the same thing. Grab a bit of sunshine while it lasts!...
Clair de Lune in Dorset
As part of the Cerne Abbas music festival in Dorset, members of the Gaudier Ensemble have been giving masterclasses in the church to some local young musicians. Two years ago I had the pleasure of teaching a talented young Dorset pianist, Max Blass-Laker, and...
Cerne Giant beacon
I'm down in Dorset for the annual music festival of the Gaudier Ensemble in Cerne Abbas. Last night I finished my rehearsals in time to join a crowd of people walking from the centre of the village and up the hill where the famous Cerne Abbas Giant is depicted. On top...
Rainy Jubilee Weekend
In this part of London it rained heavily during most of Sunday, the big day of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Weekend. I can't imagine what happened to all the street parties. What strange weather we're having! A week ago it was glorious; we sat in the garden late into...
Brahms, Brahms and Brahms
I don't think I've ever played and listened to so much Brahms as I have this week. The Orion Quartet and I have now done three Brahms concerts this week in Oxford and London, and there's another tonight in King's Place. Every programme has been a mix of Brahms string...
Roses on fast-forward
For weeks I've been watching the development of buds on our roses. The buds started to open last week, but the sudden burst of hot weather seems to have accelerated everything. The buds open in the morning, are full-blown by the middle of the day, and by the evening...
Orion Quartet at King’s Place
It's just a week now until the first of my three concerts with the Orion Quartet at King's Place. Quartet fans will know that the Orion are, indeed, stars. Our concerts are part of the 'Brahms Unwrapped' series at King's Place in London. They're on May 31, June 1 and...
Winners and ‘losers’
A very interesting discussion the other day at an event organised by the Worshipful Company of Musicians to find out whether young musicians feel they're getting enough career advice. Many young musicians said sadly that in music the bar is set very high for...
BBC Young Musician result
Last night my TV recorder failed to record the Final of BBC Young Musician. I had been so looking forward to it and was crushed to find that I couldn't watch it when I got home from a coaching session. BBC iPlayer tantalised me with 'Coming Soon', but didn't say when....
Arrival of the baby birds
Suddenly lots of baby birds have appeared in the nests we've been watching for weeks on our local pond. A few days ago, everything was still quiet as the mother birds sat on their nests. Now there are six gorgeous cygnets on the lake, and three baby coots in their...