Category: Music

  • Smarthistory

    The Center for Public Art History, Smarthistory, is an amazing resource for anyone interested in art and culture. Smarthistory was founded by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris, both art historians, in 2005. Their aim was to bring the fascinating histories of art to a wider audience and today there are more than 800…

  • The Spotify playlist

    Most weeks the blog articles are accompanied by an audio playlist, curated on Spotify. The playlist is made up of music and audio pieces, each of which has something to do with the articles. Sometimes the connections are clear, sometimes they are opaque. Part of the fun is guessing what that connection is. To listen…

  • The last blog post of the year

    We are nearly at the end of another year and this is the final post until 2026. This year has been one of excitement and hope with some disappointments and despondency along the way. As it has often been said though, the bad times illuminate the good and the good times have been very special…

  • Spotify

    A regular feature of the blog is the inclusion of a Spotify playlist. This is a curated set of audio pieces to accompany the articles on the blog. Sometimes the link between the playlist and the articles is not obvious, sometimes it is. Trying to work it out is part of the puzzle. To listen…

  • Lucia – Sweden’s celebration of mid-winter

    Lucia is celebrated on the 13th December annually in Sweden but the festival has ancient roots. Celebrated for centuries, St Lucy’s Day is a welcoming back of the light at the time of year when the short days mean darkness and cold. To mark the occasion girls and boys dress in white gowns and process…

  • Spotify this week

    Most weeks the blog is accompanied by a playlist of audio on Spotify. To listen to the playlist use the player above or go to Spotify.com or the app and search for “Music to read a blog by”. If you have a paid subscription you will be able to hear all of the playlist. Free…

  • Spotify playlist

    This week the Spotify playlist features music from Kazakhstan, France and Aotearoa New Zealand amongst other places. To listen click on the player above or go to Spotify online or in the app and search for “Music to read a blog by”.

  • Reinventing tradition: Khazakh music

    A musical renaissance is going on in Kazakhstan. Each month Songlines, the British magazine dedicated to world music, features articles and audio from around the globe. This month one of the articles is about the reinvigoration of traditional music and instruments in the country of Kazakhstan in Central Asia. Once part of the Soviet Union,…

  • Fiddler on the Roof

    It has been many decades since “Fiddler on the Roof”, a musical and movie was made but it still has a message to tell. Fiddler on the Roof is the story of a Jewish community in Russia at the start of the last century. The times were turbulent with persecution and unrest, and the family…

  • Spotify this week

    Listen to this week’s Spotify playlist in the player above or by heading over to Spotify in the app or online and searching for “Music to read a blog by”. Paying subscribers will hear all the tracks uninterrupted, while those with a free subscription will have advertising breaks. Those with no subscription will hear extracts…