Category: Music

  • What’s on Spotify?

    This week’s playlist features: Haneko odori by Tomoe-Ryu Yutadaiko This traditional Japanese taiko drumming piece was recorded in Québec, Canada by the ensemble. The title, taken from the album, is translated as “Bouncing Dance”. Elijah. Op. 70. MWV A25 by Felix Mendelssohn Contralto Clara Serena continues this playlist with a piece from Elijah, the oratorio…

  • The Spotify playlist

    The Spotify playlist is a curated set of audio tracks that relate in some way to the blog entries. To listen, click on the Player above or head over to Spotify and search for “Music to read a blog by”. Paying subscribers to the platform will hear all the tracks uninterrupted while free subscriptions will…

  • A new look at migration

    Migration is a hot topic and one that has defined the 20th and 21st Centuries but it is troublesome to collect accurate data about migration patterns. This is where social media can help. Social media collects data about location; anyone who uses any of the platforms will have signed up and provided an address. This…

  • Breathing life into an old woollen mill

    Finding uses for buildings that no longer are used can be tricky. Creativity to the rescue! A disused woollen mill in the town of Lobethal, South Australia is now a destination for anyone who works in or is interested in art, especially where textiles are concerned. Featuring spaces for workshops, residencies, studios and retail, the…

  • This week’s Spotify playlist

    Each week a playlist of audio from Spotify, the streaming platform, is compiled to go along with the blog entries. Every piece has something to do with the blog, although sometimes the connections are not that obvious! To listen, click on the Player above or head over to Spotify and search for “Music to read…

  • Spotify this week

    Each week the blog is matched with a playlist of audio pieces that reflect the content of the articles. To listen to the playlist head over to the app or Spotify online and search for “Music to read a blog by” or click on the player above. Paying subscribers will hear all the tracks uninterrupted,…

  • The music of hope

    A concert in the United States has defeated negativity and brought retired musicians and young up-and-coming performers together to celebrate diversity and inclusion. Read a story that could have turned out disastrously but instead became a triumph, as you can see on YouTube (above)

  • Holi 2025

    This week was the annual Hindu celebration of colour in India: Holi. The festival rejoices in the return of Spring to the north and brings people together to celebrate the triumph of good over evil, life over death, and happiness over sadness. You can read more about Holi here and, if you happen to have…

  • What’s on the playlist

    This week the tracks on the playlist feature…

  • This week’s Spotify playlist

    As usual, this week there is a soundtrack to go with the blog and readers can listen to it by clicking the player above or by searching for the playlist on Spotify. The tracks are related in some way to the entries on the blog, although it might not be obvious what the relationship is.…