Stephen Maddock
@stephenmaddock.bsky.social
Music, drama, Birmingham, politics, Man City. Not always in that order.
How glorious to see & hear Judith Weir’s gorgeous 2000 song cycle woman.life.song transformed into a chamber opera by Birmingham Opera. Great staging, singing, playing & conducting (Alpesh Chauhan), with lots of past & present musicians from @royalbirmcons.bsky.social & @thecbso.bsky.social involved
August 23, 2025 at 7:33 PM
How glorious to see & hear Judith Weir’s gorgeous 2000 song cycle woman.life.song transformed into a chamber opera by Birmingham Opera. Great staging, singing, playing & conducting (Alpesh Chauhan), with lots of past & present musicians from @royalbirmcons.bsky.social & @thecbso.bsky.social involved
This is excellent news. The fall in A Level Music remains a concern, but a second material increase in GCSE music numbers is a cause for celebration.
Young people still want to make music and compose IF their school gives them that opportunity!
Young people still want to make music and compose IF their school gives them that opportunity!
August 22, 2025 at 8:39 AM
This is excellent news. The fall in A Level Music remains a concern, but a second material increase in GCSE music numbers is a cause for celebration.
Young people still want to make music and compose IF their school gives them that opportunity!
Young people still want to make music and compose IF their school gives them that opportunity!
I think if I lived here I might not get round to composing any more masterpieces either.
August 7, 2025 at 3:14 PM
I think if I lived here I might not get round to composing any more masterpieces either.
Serendipity Festival Day 4:
28 years after it was founded by the genius Joe Broughton, the @royalbirmcons.bsky.social Folk Ensemble finally took to the stage at Symphony Hall!
28 years after it was founded by the genius Joe Broughton, the @royalbirmcons.bsky.social Folk Ensemble finally took to the stage at Symphony Hall!
May 26, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Serendipity Festival Day 4:
28 years after it was founded by the genius Joe Broughton, the @royalbirmcons.bsky.social Folk Ensemble finally took to the stage at Symphony Hall!
28 years after it was founded by the genius Joe Broughton, the @royalbirmcons.bsky.social Folk Ensemble finally took to the stage at Symphony Hall!
Serendipity Birmingham Day 3: @royalbirmcons.bsky.social @mybcu.bsky.social Banda Brasileira entertaining a large audience in the JBPS @bmusicltd.bsky.social Symphony Hall.
Portuguese music (as heard in Friday’s Fados) travelled to Goa & Brazil & now we’re uniting the traditions!
Portuguese music (as heard in Friday’s Fados) travelled to Goa & Brazil & now we’re uniting the traditions!
May 25, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Serendipity Birmingham Day 3: @royalbirmcons.bsky.social @mybcu.bsky.social Banda Brasileira entertaining a large audience in the JBPS @bmusicltd.bsky.social Symphony Hall.
Portuguese music (as heard in Friday’s Fados) travelled to Goa & Brazil & now we’re uniting the traditions!
Portuguese music (as heard in Friday’s Fados) travelled to Goa & Brazil & now we’re uniting the traditions!
Standing ovation for Sempre Fado at @royalbirmcons.bsky.social last night, a brilliant opening to Serendipity Festival Birmingham.
Lots more events between now and Monday!
Lots more events between now and Monday!
May 24, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Standing ovation for Sempre Fado at @royalbirmcons.bsky.social last night, a brilliant opening to Serendipity Festival Birmingham.
Lots more events between now and Monday!
Lots more events between now and Monday!
Serendipity Arts Festival Birmingham Day 1: the exhibitions are up @royalbirmcons.bsky.social and looking stunning! Events today at 1100, 1500 & 1900
@mybcu.bsky.social
@mybcu.bsky.social
May 23, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Serendipity Arts Festival Birmingham Day 1: the exhibitions are up @royalbirmcons.bsky.social and looking stunning! Events today at 1100, 1500 & 1900
@mybcu.bsky.social
@mybcu.bsky.social
Delighted to appear on BBCWM this evening to talk about the amazing Serendipity Birmingham Festival taking place this weekend at @royalbirmcons.bsky.social @mybcu.bsky.social and @bmusicltd.bsky.social
Full details: Serendipityartsfestival.com/birmingham
And www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoir...
Full details: Serendipityartsfestival.com/birmingham
And www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoir...
May 19, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Delighted to appear on BBCWM this evening to talk about the amazing Serendipity Birmingham Festival taking place this weekend at @royalbirmcons.bsky.social @mybcu.bsky.social and @bmusicltd.bsky.social
Full details: Serendipityartsfestival.com/birmingham
And www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoir...
Full details: Serendipityartsfestival.com/birmingham
And www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoir...
Congratulations to all at WNO for a magnificent Peter Grimes tonight at Birmingham Hippodrome.
Chorus, Orchestra were tremendous and the splendidly detailed performances from a great cast (with terrible 80s hair) were spellbinding. Full house too.
#WNOGrimes
Chorus, Orchestra were tremendous and the splendidly detailed performances from a great cast (with terrible 80s hair) were spellbinding. Full house too.
#WNOGrimes
May 10, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Congratulations to all at WNO for a magnificent Peter Grimes tonight at Birmingham Hippodrome.
Chorus, Orchestra were tremendous and the splendidly detailed performances from a great cast (with terrible 80s hair) were spellbinding. Full house too.
#WNOGrimes
Chorus, Orchestra were tremendous and the splendidly detailed performances from a great cast (with terrible 80s hair) were spellbinding. Full house too.
#WNOGrimes
“A Pope from Chicago? Yes, I’m available. And here are my conditions”
May 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
“A Pope from Chicago? Yes, I’m available. And here are my conditions”
Congratulations Pope Leo!
May 8, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Congratulations Pope Leo!
What a joy to start the afternoon at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with a recital by the great Roderick Williams (& Andrew West) who gave us a gorgeous tour of Victorian (and later) orientalism ending with songs by Harry T Burleigh, the composer who introduced Dvorak to African-American music.
March 28, 2025 at 2:51 PM
What a joy to start the afternoon at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with a recital by the great Roderick Williams (& Andrew West) who gave us a gorgeous tour of Victorian (and later) orientalism ending with songs by Harry T Burleigh, the composer who introduced Dvorak to African-American music.
The last @royalbirmcons.bsky.social Yr3 Acting production of the year: a mesmerising, musically rich version of Pam Gems’ Piaf with brilliant ensemble cast. Great movement & singing, and at its centre an astonishing performance by Bella Gabor as Piaf. Great arrangements by Daniel Blanco Albert too!
March 22, 2025 at 5:32 PM
The last @royalbirmcons.bsky.social Yr3 Acting production of the year: a mesmerising, musically rich version of Pam Gems’ Piaf with brilliant ensemble cast. Great movement & singing, and at its centre an astonishing performance by Bella Gabor as Piaf. Great arrangements by Daniel Blanco Albert too!
Big congrats to the @BirmCons @MyBCU actors who recreated 1936 Ireland in Brian Friel’s bittersweet Dancing at Lughnasa. A superb evening.
NB to @Apple: I’m sure there ARE people Dancing at Lufthansa tonight now that Heathrow is reopening, but your autocorrect read my mind incorrectly.
NB to @Apple: I’m sure there ARE people Dancing at Lufthansa tonight now that Heathrow is reopening, but your autocorrect read my mind incorrectly.
March 21, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Big congrats to the @BirmCons @MyBCU actors who recreated 1936 Ireland in Brian Friel’s bittersweet Dancing at Lughnasa. A superb evening.
NB to @Apple: I’m sure there ARE people Dancing at Lufthansa tonight now that Heathrow is reopening, but your autocorrect read my mind incorrectly.
NB to @Apple: I’m sure there ARE people Dancing at Lufthansa tonight now that Heathrow is reopening, but your autocorrect read my mind incorrectly.
Hello @bristolbeacon.bsky.social!
Well this is nice! My first visit since CBSO & Mirga gave the final orchestral concert in the Colston Hall in 2018.
Well this is nice! My first visit since CBSO & Mirga gave the final orchestral concert in the Colston Hall in 2018.
March 11, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Hello @bristolbeacon.bsky.social!
Well this is nice! My first visit since CBSO & Mirga gave the final orchestral concert in the Colston Hall in 2018.
Well this is nice! My first visit since CBSO & Mirga gave the final orchestral concert in the Colston Hall in 2018.
Two tremendous casts, one magnificent comic opera: Britten’s Albert Herring looking and sounding absolutely brilliant last night & today with both casts of @royalbirmcons.bsky.social singers (and the superb orchestra) on top form. And all 4 performances sold out, too! @mybcu.bsky.social
March 8, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Two tremendous casts, one magnificent comic opera: Britten’s Albert Herring looking and sounding absolutely brilliant last night & today with both casts of @royalbirmcons.bsky.social singers (and the superb orchestra) on top form. And all 4 performances sold out, too! @mybcu.bsky.social
RBQ 2025: the Midlands team’s battle to defend our title begins this afternoon with two matches against Northern Ireland. I will be sworn to secrecy either way until the broadcasts…..
@bbcradio4.bsky.social
@bbcradio4.bsky.social
February 23, 2025 at 3:08 PM
RBQ 2025: the Midlands team’s battle to defend our title begins this afternoon with two matches against Northern Ireland. I will be sworn to secrecy either way until the broadcasts…..
@bbcradio4.bsky.social
@bbcradio4.bsky.social
So the reviews & word of mouth were right: Festen @royaloperahouse.bsky.social is sensationally effective and moving.
I can’t remember a new opera in my decades of going that has been quite such a hit both with critics and the public. Bravi tutti especially Allan Clayton & Ed Gardner + Orchestra
I can’t remember a new opera in my decades of going that has been quite such a hit both with critics and the public. Bravi tutti especially Allan Clayton & Ed Gardner + Orchestra
February 22, 2025 at 10:05 PM
So the reviews & word of mouth were right: Festen @royaloperahouse.bsky.social is sensationally effective and moving.
I can’t remember a new opera in my decades of going that has been quite such a hit both with critics and the public. Bravi tutti especially Allan Clayton & Ed Gardner + Orchestra
I can’t remember a new opera in my decades of going that has been quite such a hit both with critics and the public. Bravi tutti especially Allan Clayton & Ed Gardner + Orchestra
Fantastic French concert this evening by @royalbirmcons.bsky.social Symphony Orchestra & Karen Ní Bhroin. A Berlioz UK premiere (sic!), Satie, Mel Bonis, La Valse & Ravel Left Hand played magnificently by RBC’s Georgian star pianist Salomé Chitaia. Tomorrow: Boulez’s Sur incises! @mybcu.bsky.social
February 20, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Fantastic French concert this evening by @royalbirmcons.bsky.social Symphony Orchestra & Karen Ní Bhroin. A Berlioz UK premiere (sic!), Satie, Mel Bonis, La Valse & Ravel Left Hand played magnificently by RBC’s Georgian star pianist Salomé Chitaia. Tomorrow: Boulez’s Sur incises! @mybcu.bsky.social
So with this much notice is it easier to teach some astronauts how to drill, or teach some oilmen how to become astronauts?
January 30, 2025 at 7:15 PM
So with this much notice is it easier to teach some astronauts how to drill, or teach some oilmen how to become astronauts?
After a long day, it’s great to unwind in the company of our brilliant @royalbirmcons.bsky.social Percussionists & Stage Managers. And what a programme! @MyBCU
January 28, 2025 at 8:20 PM
After a long day, it’s great to unwind in the company of our brilliant @royalbirmcons.bsky.social Percussionists & Stage Managers. And what a programme! @MyBCU
January 25, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Next up: Republicans vote to confirm their new Education Secretary
January 25, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Next up: Republicans vote to confirm their new Education Secretary
Great account of BBC Proms audiences from this 1945 book on ‘The Orchestra in England’.
How much has changed?
How much has changed?
November 30, 2024 at 7:17 PM
Great account of BBC Proms audiences from this 1945 book on ‘The Orchestra in England’.
How much has changed?
How much has changed?
Post you from a different era?
1980s on top of the Pont du Gard. Before that was banned by the woke French authorities….
1980s on top of the Pont du Gard. Before that was banned by the woke French authorities….
November 20, 2024 at 8:54 PM
Post you from a different era?
1980s on top of the Pont du Gard. Before that was banned by the woke French authorities….
1980s on top of the Pont du Gard. Before that was banned by the woke French authorities….