Thoroughly Good Classical Music

classical music isn’t difficult.

it’s just music.

Thoroughly Good: reviews, insights, and opinions about classical music, & Supporting the industry with digital content, leadership training, and consultancy.

REVIEW

🆕SIBELIUS ACADEMY AND ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC AT THE BBC PROMS

Two international conservatoires join forces in a celebration of fairytale nymphs, nature, and the astrological mysteries of Holst’s The Planets, delivering a night of vivid performances from Sibelius’s The Wood Nymph to Lara Poe’s Songs from the Countryside.

READ

ULSTER ORCHESTRA

Sound, memory and the spaces between, observed from the periphery

Special access to the Ulster Orchestra’s BBC Proms rehearsal at the Royal Albert Hall

READ
A picture of a castle against a blue sky with clouds. There are green bushes in the foreground.

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

ELIZABETH LLEWELLYN, SIMON LEPPER & BAMBERG SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AT EDINBURGH

Explore the highlights of the Edinburgh International Festival, featuring Elizabeth Llewellyn’s stunning recital and the Bamberg Symphony’s unforgettable performance of Dvorak’s 9th Symphony.

READ

festival spotlight

MORE DELIGHT FOUND AT YORKSHIRE’S RYEDALE FESTIVAL 2024

North Yorkshire’s Ryedale Festival builds on its reputation with a tantalising mix of concert programmes in glorious locations in and around the county, including performances from Van Baerle Trio, Marian Consort and Katona Twins, plus new works by Julian Anderson and Sarah Frances Jenkins

READ

THOROUGHLY GOOD EXPEDITION

four enchanting days at Itinéraire Baroque

Nestled in the remote, bucolic beauty of the Dordogne, the ItinĂ©raire Baroque Festival is an enchanting step back in time. Now in its 23rd year with artistic director Ton Koopman at the helm, the festival remains true to original vision, performing a wide range of baroque music in architectural gems across the Perigord region of the Dordogne.

READ

review

bbc proms
first night 2024

A candid take on the First Night’s tepid performances, polished if shallow presentation, and the BBC’s determined strategy to build a new classical music audience and put Radio 3 at the heart of it.

READ

thoroughly good classical music podcast

190: Violinist Madeleine Mitchell and the music of Herbert Howells – Thoroughly Good Classical Music Podcast

This episode features violinist Madeleine Mitchell introducing the return of the Red Violin Festival in Leeds, her connection with Yehudi Menuhin, and the career-long fascination with composer Herbert Howells whose In Gloucestershire Quartet forms part of a new release of recordings on the SOMM label of rarely heard works by the English composer. The Red Violin Festival runs from 14th to 19th October 2014. Madeleine Mitchell and the London Chamber Ensemble's recordings of works by Howells and Charles Wood is released on Friday 18 October.
  1. 190: Violinist Madeleine Mitchell and the music of Herbert Howells
  2. 187: Jennifer Davis and members of the Royal Opera Jette Parker Artist Programme
  3. 186: Southbank Centre's Head of Classical Toks Dada
  4. 185: Soprano Claire Booth
  5. 184: Composer Adrian Sutton

frequently asked questionS

Quick fire answers to some of commonly asked questions about the Thoroughly Good Blog and its author

faqs

blogs

19 years of news, reviews and opinion

  • Review – Sam Rudd-Jones debut release Three Sonatas

    Review – Sam Rudd-Jones debut release Three Sonatas

    At just 23, composer Sam Rudd-Jones blends rich harmonies with contemporary flair in Three Sonatas. Featuring an illustrious ensemble, the album showcases his fresh, original voice in modern classical music.

  • Trouble looming for the Monteverdis?

    Is there trouble looming for the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists this December? Their former founder and director, John Eliot Gardiner, is staging nearly identical concert programs with a new ensemble, right on the heels of the Monteverdis’ scheduled performances. By competing for the same audience, Gardiner (whose PR is now handled by Andy…