Poem Of The Week: Abra-Cadabra By Grace Nichols
Abra-Cadabra My mother had more magic in her thumb than the length and breadth of any magician Weaving incredible stories around the dark-green senna brew just to make us slake the ritual Sunday purgative Knowing how to place a cochineal poultice on a fevered forehead Knowing how to measure a belly's symmetry kneading the narah pains away Once my baby sister stuffed a split-pea up her no…
From Rugby Pitch To Rock Venue: Jack Cullen's 22-Marathon Mission
Fresh from his first headline European solo tour, Jack Cullen is preparing for his most ambitious challenge yet: running 22 ultramarathons in 22 days from Berlin to London ahead of his biggest headline show to date at Oslo Hackney.
Classical Music: House of Wonder – Sally Beamish Celebrates 70 Years
House of Wonder, assembled to mark Beamish's seventieth birthday, is above all a personal album, and that comes through in every bar. To celebrate the occasion, Beamish has returned to the instrument that first shaped her career as a performer in the 1980s: the viola. Crucially, the instrument she plays throughout is a viola made in 2014 by Stephanie Irvine—a gift that, in Beamish's own account, rekindled her relationship with the instrument entirely. The album gathers works written by Beamish for herself to play alongside new commissions from her three children—all accomplished musicians in their own right—and a circle of close collaborators.
Classical Music: Mel Bonis Orchestral Music
The music is, for the most part, elegantly crafted rather than profoundly searching—these are miniatures that delight in surface and atmosphere rather than structural ambition—and there were moments when the lush, exotic colouring put me in mind of Rimsky-Korsakov, particularly the languorous orientalism of Shéhérazade.
All Singing, All Dancing, All Amber
She's the cabaret siren, bringing a blaze of Broadway glamour, old Hollywood shimmer and flame-haired icons to Ripon – and she cannot, she insists, do a show without funny bones. There is a particular kind of performer who walks into a room and instantly rearranges its atmosphere. Amber Topaz is one of those.
Let Their Broadway Dream Come True
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A prestigious Broadway training organisation has teamed up with Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach Resort to bring professional-level Broadway training to ambitious performers who may otherwise not have access to such opportunities.
Albums: Olivia Rodrigo You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love
A devastatingly beautiful release from beginning to end, Olivia Rodrigo’s third album is a triumph of songwriting, performance and emotional storytelling. It is bold, vulnerable and endlessly compelling — the kind of album that deepens with every listen. More importantly, it feels like a defining statement from an artist who continues to surpass even the highest expectations. Her finest moment to date.
Leeds Through The Eyes Of Mik Artistik: Exhibition Celebrates The City’s People And Places
The faces, characters and stories of Leeds take centre stage this summer in a new exhibition by acclaimed artist and performer Mik Artistik, on display at Armley Library from 15 June to 11 July 2026. For more than 40 years, Mik has drawn the people of Leeds wherever he finds them – in pubs, libraries, bus stations, cafés and on street corners.
The Summer Showcase 2026
Lovers of beautifully curated art have a treat in store this summer. The cream of artists, inspired by and living and working in the stunning Peak District, are holding their annual showcase in Buxton on July 18th and 19th.
In Conversation: Amy Lee From Evanescence
Few bands have left a mark on modern rock and metal quite like Evanescence. More than two decades after Bring Me To Life exploded onto the airwaves and cemented itself as an anthem for the ages, Amy Lee and her band remain a creative force, continually evolving while staying true to the emotional intensity that made them global icons.
Has Another Spirit Been Awakened At Ripon’s Workhouse Museum?
Has the spirit of a former inmate been awakened in the dormitory at Ripon’s Workhouse Museum?
18 Conductors Selected For The 6th Evgeny Svetlanov International Conducting Competition In Birmingham
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The Evgeny Svetlanov International Conducting Competition has announced the 18 conductors selected to participate in its sixth edition, which will take place from 3 to 6 September 2026 in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in partnership with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO).
Westminster Launch Of New National Alliance Calling For Greater Recognition Of Independent Regional Theatre
Five regional independent theatres (Birmingham Hippodrome, Leeds Heritage Theatres, Norwich Theatre, Newcastle Theatre Royal, and Marlowe Canterbury) launched the Regional Independent Theatre Alliance (RITA) at a Parliamentary Reception in Westminster. This evening, Wednesday 10 June 2026, five regional independent theatres launched the Regional Independent Theatre Alli…
The Jacksons Return To The North
The Jacksons are heading back to the UK this November for a very special run of headline shows, celebrating the timeless hits and extraordinary legacy of one of the most influential groups in pop history.
Davóne Tines – Meet The ‘Electrifying’ Singer Rewriting The Rules
US-born baritone Davóne Tines, renowned for his work in opera and gospel, has been described as an “electrifying” performer (The Guardian). The Grammy-nominated singer, named Musical America’s Vocalist of the Year in 2022, is appearing at the Wesley Centre, in Harrogate, on 12 June.
In Conversation: Maisy Kay
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British-born, Los Angeles-based alt-pop artist Maisy Kay is enjoying a landmark year. Returning to the UK this June to support LANY on their arena tour, including a milestone performance at OVO Arena Wembley, the Shropshire native is bringing her cinematic, emotionally charged sound to her biggest home audiences yet.
A Bit Of A Lark! The Impossible Fortune By Richard Osman
They’re back, The Thursday Murder Club! The residents of Cooper’s Chase Retirement Village. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim are on the trail of the baddies once more and, as ever, are aided by Chris and Donna and of course, Bogdan, among others. The familiarity is comforting, like a cup of cocoa on a winter’s day. It’s a new puzzle but you know you’re surrounded by helpful friends.
The Circus Is Back In Town — And It's Bigger, Bolder And More Magical Than Before
Having returned from the musical wilderness back in 2006 after an 11-year absence, Take That had proven with Beautiful World that they were still a chart-topping force to be reckoned with. However, the pressure was on for their 2008 release, The Circus, to meet these heightened expectations.
Gold In Halifax Shed Seven
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Shed Seven, York’s favourite sons, opened up a summer series of concerts at the Piece Hall in Halifax, undoubtedly the best historic open-air venue in the country. The inaugural night felt aptly justified and celebratory – and for good reason. With the thirtieth anniversary of the album A Maximum High, the band had plenty to celebrate.
Opera North Offer Pay What You Want Concert For All Ages
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This month brings some of the most well-known and best-loved music into the centre of Leeds as Opera North performs Classics in the Square, a celebration of Leeds 400 and the latest addition to the summer series being held by Leeds City Council in Millennium Square.
Albums: Now Yearbook- Vault ‘85
Now Yearbook- Vault ‘85 The Now Music series continues with the release of this four track CD which concentrates on songs from artists who might not be as famous as some of their other tracks.
Have A Bollywood Ball At Blackpool Grand Theatre
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It’s the fabulous, fun-filled fairytale of Cinderella with a delicious sprinkling of South Asian spice… Get ready for the smash-hit spectacular SURINDERELLA. This September, Bollywood makes its dazzling debut at Blackpool Grand Theatre. It’s a magical night out full of sparkle, sass and shaadi drama that’s not to be missed!
In conversation: Tiffany
Fresh from delighting audiences on The Masked Singer, preparing for a major UK tour with Kim Wilde and celebrating the release of her new cookbook, Pop Life, Tiffany is as busy as ever. Yet despite a career spanning decades, she remains wonderfully down-to-earth, warm and refreshingly easy to chat to.
Albums: Niall Horan Dinner Party
Albums: Alyssa Bonagura America's Backroads
America's Backroads is a masterclass in modern country-rooted songwriting and further proof that Alyssa Bonagura deserves far greater recognition than she currently receives. Few artists are capable of wearing so many creative hats while maintaining such a consistently high standard, and even fewer can make it look this effortless. This is the work of an artist operating at the peak of her powers, delivering one of the strongest releases of the year. If there is any justice, America's Backroads should be the album that finally introduces Alyssa Bonagura to the wider audience she has long deserved.
Ripon Theatre Festival Boosts Youth Engagement At RTF26
This summer will see Ripon Theatre Festival embarking on an exciting new partnership project that will place young people at the heart of this summer’s festival, thanks to Cultural Passport for Young People funding. Supported by David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, and funded by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority from the Mayoral Investment Fund.
Classical Music: Arcadia Quartet — Weinberg String Quartets, Vol. 6
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What a conclusion to the Arcadia Quartet's Weinberg series this volume is. The ensemble has spoken movingly of the moment they first encountered these string quartets—music, they say, that felt like "a glow of light surrounded by the darkness of the unknown"—and across these recordings they have made good on their ambition to dilute those shadows. This final volume crowns that mission magnificently.
Classical Music: Mike Batt Symphony No. 1 'Ukraine'
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Across all four movements, the London Symphony Orchestra plays with genuine commitment, reaching the emotional heart of what is, for a debut symphony, a monumental undertaking. This is music of vivid, strongly compelling sketches that covers the full gamut of human emotion—rage, despair, grief, resilience, and hope—expressed through tempi, expressive crescendos and diminuendos, and outbursts of passion that feel entirely authentic to their subject. It is an album that will reward repeated listening, and it is a deeply impressive arrival, however long in the making.
Classical Music: Bohuslav Martinů The Symphonies
There is much to discover here, and the attention to detail throughout is stupendous. This is one of the discs of the year – full of excitement and vivaciousness and a long-overdue tribute to a composer whose time, it seems, has finally come.
Lunchtime Concert In Bradford Cathedral On 19 June Hosted By The Delius Society
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The Frith Rolfe Piano Duo bring Frederick Delius back to his hometown along with some kindred spirits in a FREE Lunchtime Concert hosted by The Delius Society at Bradford Cathedral on Friday 19 June at 1:00pm. Hosted by The Delius Society, a free lunchtime concert is taking place at Bradford Cathedral on Friday 19 June at 1:00pm.