Elina Garanca sings Saint-Saens

  Verdi was born in a small village in the Duchy of Parma where the baptismal register of  October 11th states that he was ‘born yesterday’. As days were sometimes counted as beginning at sunset, it is not clear whether he was born on the 9th or the 10th of October in 1813. Whichever way, it would be legitimate by now to celebrate…

Ukrainian bass-baritone Andrei Bondarenko in his Cardiff Singer of the World final in 2011. He won the competition’s Song Prize. You can hear him in Sydney this weekend with the Sydney Symphony, singing the role of Yeletsky in a concert version of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Queen of Spades’

J S Bach’s Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 must have one of the most thrilling and celebratory openings ever heard. Hope you enjoy this version of the opening chorus Jauchzet frohlocket from the Frauenkirche Dresden in the heart of  Saxony. The Staatskapelle Dresden, is conducted by Christian Thielemann, Sophie Koch (Mezzosoprano) und Thomas Hampson (Baritone).

Nick Mohammed is a character comedian based in Edinburgh. He appears at comedy festivals and makes programmes for BBC TV and radio. His caustic humour delivers insights that are suspiciously close to the truth! Belly laughs aplenty in this YouTube video parodying the conductor!