Tag Archives: music

Celebrating Shakespeare and Purcell with the Orchestra of the Swan

Stratford-upon-Avon’s own chamber orchestra, the Orchestra of the Swan, is currently celebrating Shakespeare’s 450th anniversary by performing four concerts of music inspired by his work. The first concert, last Friday, included the lovely orchestral suite written by Henry Purcell for … Continue reading

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If music and sweet poetry agree: Stratford-upon-Avon’s Festival

On Saturday morning Stratford-upon-Avon’s Music Festival began with a Festival Fanfare entitled Lend Me Your Ears, played by the brass ensemble from King Edward VI School. Performed on the steps of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre it was a reminder of … Continue reading

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All’s Well That Ends Well at the RSC

High summer in Stratford-upon-Avon and at the RST the season is in full swing. Three Shakespeare productions are running in the main theatre, and on Thursday it was possible to see two plays back to back. In the afternoon there … Continue reading

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A Shakespeare miscellany

One of the most delightful results of writing this blog is receiving responses from people who are using Shakespeare creatively to build a project of their own. I’m always happy to share these projects with other readers. Here are some of the … Continue reading

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From crumhorns to waterphone: Music for Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s use of music is always a popular subject, but just now it seems to be everywhere. Shakespeare’s Globe is hosting a conference on Shakespeare, music and performance from 3-5 May, which will include input from major academics as well … Continue reading

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Celebrating Shakespeare at the turn of the year

As it’s the end of the year I want to thank readers of The Shakespeare blog for making it such a success. During 2012 the blog has had over 67,000 visits and over 100,000 page views. 239 of you have … Continue reading

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Shakespeare and the power of music

22 November is Saint Cecilia’s day, when we should be celebrating music in all its forms, yet on Tuesday morning BBC Radio 4’s Today programme broadcast a piece criticising the fact that only a small minority of people attend ballet, opera … Continue reading

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Mozart, Shakespeare and genius

Maybe it’s because I’ve been away from the BBC for two weeks, but the Radio 4 documentary by Dr Robert Winston about Mozart, broadcast a couple of days ago, struck me as a fascinating mix of analysis and glorious music. … Continue reading

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Elizabethan Christmas: carols

Now we’re getting really near to Christmas, let’s have some music to get us in the mood. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Titania contrasts the long summer evenings with the cosiness of winter round the fire: The human mortals want … Continue reading

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Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight

It seems that music, whether being listened to or performed, really is good for you. It was recently reported that musicians have better memories than the rest of us, and playing music may result in higher levels of proficiency in … Continue reading

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