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Music of the World

Bastille Day - 14 July

Élie Haguenthal's painting of the taking of the Bastille depicts a mass of revolutionary soldiers in uniforms of blue, yellow, and red firing upon the fortress's facade, with smoke billowing across the battlements.
The year is 1789. Under the reign of Louis XVI, King of France, the country has descended into chaos, a consequence of dire economic choices in the royal court alongside a bad harvest. Tension foments in the people of Paris, accelerating when Jacques Necker, Chief Minister, is dismissed, sparking fears of a conservative overhaul. On 14th July 1789, frustration boils over. Armed insurgents, mostly civilians with mutineers of the French Guard, storm the Bastille, symbolising royal authority. This siege marked the first stage of the French Revolution, a decade-long upheaval that resulted in the execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and claimed an estimated 1.4 to 2 million lives in the ensuring Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars that followed.

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The Complete Musician: Ryan Wigglesworth as Aldeburgh Festival’s 2026 Featured Artist

ryan wigglesworth side profile

There is a distinct magic to Snape Maltings in June. The Suffolk reed beds shimmer, the North Sea breeze carries a quiet creative energy, and the legacy of Benjamin Britten feels entirely alive. But this June, the 77th Aldeburgh Festival carries an even deeper resonance. Marking 50 years since Britten’s passing, the festival is honouring its founder’s vision of the "complete musician”, and they have found the perfect modern embodiment in Ryan Wigglesworth.

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Wedding Music Inspiration: The Best Entrance Pieces and First Dance Songs

Soft-focus wedding rings resting together against glowing lights, symbolising romance, commitment, and the atmosphere of a wedding celebration.

It’s the day of your wedding. You’ve spent months, or perhaps even years, planning this.

Your favourite people have travelled from far and wide to come celebrate with you. Dressed in their Sunday best, they quietly admire the venue and the decorations you and your partner have chosen. There is so much love and excitement in the room as everyone waits for the wedding ceremony to begin. And then the music starts playing… What song do they hear?

Choosing the first song can feel near impossible – how do you pick a piece that might possibly shape the mood of the whole ceremony! Luckily for you, we’ve done the hard work and have compiled some of the best wedding songs so that you aren’t overwhelmed when it comes to planning your wedding. From timeless classics to hidden gems waiting to be discovered, there’s so much to explore!

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The Eurovision Song Contest 2026

People have their hands in  the air and phones recording a stage immersed in smoke and different-coloured lighting.

Once a year, Europeans descend on a major city to showcase some of the very best of their musical talent on a continental stage, to sing songs, share a little unity, and have an all-around good time. But what makes the Eurovision Song Contest so important?

We’re going to take a quick look at the competition: where it started, where it’s been as we approach its 70th anniversary on Saturday 16th May, and what’s going on for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026!

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The Ultimate Guide to the ii-V-I Chord Progression for Alto Sax: Insights from David Detweiler

David Detweiler, jazz saxophone player and professor of music, smiling with his instrument in-hand. He is wearing a smart suit jacket and shirt, with a colourful background behind him taken from the cover of his book.

The ii-V-I chord progression is an ever-pervasive sequence found throughout much of music history, though it came to true prominence with the rise of jazz. Since then, these chords have been improvised over by countless instrumental soloists, establishing the progression as an essential building block for anyone learning to perform within the genre.

In this post, we'll dive into the inner workings of the ii-V-I chord progression and its origins. Plus, an extended excerpt from David Detweiler’s fantastic book, The II-V-I Progression: 80 Patterns from the Masters of the Saxophone, is featured, exploring a number of improvised solos over the sequence from renowned icons of jazz!

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From Nina Simone to Hiromi: Women Who Transformed Jazz Piano

Close-up of hands playing piano keys in a black and white photograph, representing women in jazz piano

As a piano teacher I frequently ask new students who are their favourite jazz pianists, or even just to name a jazz musician they enjoy listening to. It's noticeable that many of the revered jazz players of the past (and present) are very often men. 

It can seem that either there weren’t very many women jazz musicians, or that they have been side-lined or ignored. This is a situation that was very familiar in the 19th century art world, when the profession of artist was not considered suitable for a woman, with female painters being denied admission to academies and prevented from exhibiting their work.

As part of the JAZZ PIANO LIBRARY series of podcasts for Morley Radio I’ve recorded three programmes about Women Jazz Pianists, with fellow pianist Joy Ellis as my guest and co-presenter. Over the course of these we've played recordings by pianists dating from the 1920s to the 2020s – the whole history of recorded jazz.

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World Poetry Day - 21 March

Poetry finds its way into music in all sorts of ways, from composers setting verses directly to music, to instrumental works inspired by poetic imagery and ideas. It’s an adaptable art form, capable of expressing the most intimate emotions as well as vast, philosophical landscapes.

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Play Music from Bridgerton Yourself: Sheet Music, Songs and Tips

A person in a pastel green ball gown in the style of the Regency period, carrying a white lace fan and wearing long gloves. In the blurred background, other elegantly dressed people can be seen in a stately room with gilded doors.

Have you ever wondered what Ariana Grande's ‘thank u, next’ or Taylor Swift's ‘Wildest Dreams’ would have sounded like in the early 19th century? The hit Netflix series Bridgerton gives us the answer and has sparked a global hype that extends far beyond the TV screen. The second part of the fourth season premiered on 26 February.

For musicians and music lovers, the series offers a fascinating phenomenon: it makes classical instrumentation ‘sexy,’ modern and absolutely mainstream. In this article, you'll learn what's behind the success and why the music from Bridgerton can currently be found on every sheet music shelf.

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