Podcasts about English National Opera

Joshua Conyers is an Assistant Professor of Voice at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, and a Grammy-nominated Baritone who is known for his captivating performances and recognized as one of the leading dramatic voices of today. He has performed with The Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, Washington National Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, English National Opera, New York Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, and many others. His recordings include the Grammy-nominated “X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X” his debut solo album is “A Miracle in Legacy.” He says it tells his story of his “being born into the crucible of poverty, haunted by the specter of addiction and abuse.” He says “yet, amid the shadows, I found my guiding light in the melodies of classical music.” SONG 1: “I’ll Make Love to You” by Boyz II Men from their Album II released in 1994. https://youtu.be/USR_0iImpcM?si=VDXE1s_O2toNwRkJ SONG 2: “Nessun Dorma” by Giacomo Puccini from the opera Turandot...performed here by Franco Corelli from the 1958 film of Turandot.https://youtu.be/fWokel5YxM8?si=_D9UEH6jKbz1Bo2G SONG 3: “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” by Eminem off his 2002 album The Eminem Show. https://youtu.be/4t2ETI2Lrjg?si=pgmx0aGLs4Tag6HASee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textIn this episode we talk to Marina Jones,  Executive Director of Development & Public Affairs at the English National Opera and project lead on the history of fundraising for the fundraising think tank Rogare. Including:Why is a historical perspective on fundraising valuable? Is fundraising a particularly hidden part of the history of charity/philanthropy? If so, why?  Are there useful practical lessons modern fundraisers can learn from their historical counterparts about techniques and approaches that work? Are there relevant historical lessons about some of the potential ethical issues that arise from fundraising?Can we find useful historical precedents for some of the recurrent criticisms of fundraising?How have fundraisers harnessed new communications technologies throughout history (e.g. printing, radio, telegraph, TV)?What role has commemoration and recognition of donors played in the history of fundraising? How have celebrities been used for fundraising purposes throughout historyHow far back can we trace the idea of using commercial approaches to raise money for charity?What role did fundraising play in bringing women further into the public sphere?What can we learn from portrayals of philanthropy and fundraising in literature or popular culture? Related links:Rogare's history of fundraising projectTimelines of fundraising history: the classical world (1000BCE-475CE), The Middle Ages (476-1499), Modern era (1500-1899), 20th and 21st centuryMarina's blogScott Cutlip's seminal 1965 book Fund Raising in the United States: Its role in America's Philanthropy (available to borrow on Internet Archive).WPM timeline of UK PhilanthropyRhod's 2016 book Public Good by Private Means: How philanthropy shapes BritainPhilanthropisms interview with Ian MacQuillin from RogarePhilanthropisms episodes on philanthropy and music; gratitude and recognition; and tainted donations

Award-winning director Michael Mayer has worked in a broad spectrum of media from theatre and opera to television and film. Current theatre: Swept Away, a new musical featuring songs of The Avett Brothers which opened November 19, 2024 on Broadway, the hit revival of Little Shop of Horrors now playing at the Westside Theatre, the national tour of his hit Broadway revival of Funny Girl (which starred Lea Michele) and the national tour of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, which recently ended its Broadway run.  Recent opera:  Jeanine Tesori and George Brant's new opera Grounded which opened the Metropolitan Opera season on September 23, 2024 with performances running until October 19. Upcoming opera: a new production of Aida at the Metropolitan Opera this season opening on December 31, 2024. Other Broadway credits include Adam Driver and Keri Russell in Burn This, Head Over Heels (featuring the songs of The Go-Go's), Neil Patrick Harris in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Tony Award, best musical revival, also National Tour), Spring Awakening (Tony Award/Best Musical and Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Director; also London, National Tour, Vienna, Tokyo, and Seoul productions); Green Day's American Idiot (also co-author, Drama Desk Award for Best Director; also US, UK and Asia tours); Thoroughly Modern Millie (Tony Award/Best Musical also London and National Tour), Side Man (Tony Award/Best Play also London and Kennedy Center Productions),  A View from the Bridge (Tony Award/Best Revival),  Michael Moore's The Terms of My Surrender, Everyday Rapture, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Triumph of Love; off-Broadway credits include Lin-Manuel Miranda's 21 Chump Street (BAM), Chess (Kennedy Center), Love, Love, Love (Roundabout), Brooklynite (Also co-author, Vineyard), Whorl Inside A Loop (with Dick Scanlan, Second Stage), 10 Million Miles (Atlantic): Angels in America. London: a record-breaking West End run of Funny Girl and a UK tour. Tokyo: As You Like It (Toho Theatre). Film: A Home at the End of the World (Excellence in filmmaking, National Board of Review, GLAAD nomination), Single All the Way for Netflix, Flicka, The Seagull. He was featured in both the documentaries Those You've Known on HBO and Broadway Idiot. Television credits Include: SMASH (Pilot, producing director: Season One), two seasons of Alpha House (Amazon), and producer for the HBO film WIG. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut with a celebrated new production of Rigoletto, followed by a co-production (with the English National Opera) of Nico Muhly's Marnie, and a new production of La Traviata, which broke box office records. He directed the world premiere of Jeanine Tesori's Grounded at the Washington National Opera. Grounded  opened the Met's 24/25 season on September 23, 2024, and his new production of Aida will premiere at the Met on New Year's Eve 2024.  Additional Awards and fellowships: the inaugural Daryl Roth Creative Spirit award, Drama League Founders Award, Jefferson, Ovation, Alan Schneider, and Carbonell awards;  Fox Foundation, Drama League and TCG/NEA Directing Fellowships.   He serves on the Boards of SDC (Stage Directors and Choreographers Society) and the Arthur Miller. Photos by Sergio Villarini for Broadway.Com- assisted by BrookeBellPhoto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark-Anthony Turnage is a composer of contemporary classical music. Once called “Britain's hippest composer”, he has been in a rock band, got drunk with Francis Bacon, and tackled anything from drug abuse to football in his works. Mark was born in June 1960 in the Thames estuary town of Corringham in Essex. His musical talent was nurtured by his parents and he studied composition at the junior department at the Royal College of Music from aged fourteen. There he met the composer Oliver Knussen who became his tutor, mentor, and life-long friend. His first performed work, Night Dances, written while still at the Royal College, won a prize and heralded Mark's evolution into what one critic calls “one of the best known British composers of his generation, widely admired for his highly personal mixture of energy and elegy, tough and tender”. Greek, his debut opera, a reimagining of the Oedipus myth whose protagonist is a racist, violent and foul-mouthed football hooligan, shocked the establishment, which flinched, but accepted “Turnage, the trouble-maker” as a forceful voice. Over the past four decades he has sustained a distinguished and productive career that has seen him working closely with conductors of the stature of Bernard Haitink, Esa-Pekka Salonen and, particularly, Simon Rattle. He has been attached to prestigious institutions, such as English National Opera and both the BBC and Chicago symphony orchestras, and has written a vast range of music for many different instruments and ensembles. His influences include soul, gospel, all sorts of jazz and the great symphonic works of the repertoire. He has written operas, ballets, concertos, chamber pieces and choral works together with orchestrating a football match. His key works include Three Screaming Popes and Blood on the Floor (both inspired by Francis Bacon paintings, and the latter containing an elegy for his younger brother, Andrew, who died of a drug overdose in 1995), as well as more operas including one about the former Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith. Mark lives in North London with his partner, the opera director, Rachael Hewer. DISC ONE: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 II. Molto vivace - Presto - Molto vivace – Presto. Composed by Ludwig Van Beethoven and performed by The Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle DISC TWO: St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 Pt. 1 No. 1, Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen. Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach and performed by Bach Collegium Japan, conducted by Masaaki Suzuki DISC THREE: Two Organa, Op. 27 – 1 “Notre Dame des Jouets”. Composed and conducted by Oliver Knussen and performed by The London Sinfonietta DISC FOUR: Blue in Green - Miles Davis DISC FIVE: Living for the City - Stevie Wonder DISC SIX: Puccini: Madama Butterfly, Act II: Un bel dì vedremo. Composed by Giacomo Puccini and performed by Mirella Freni (Soprano) and Wiener Philharmoniker, conducted by Herbert von Karajan DISC SEVEN: Symphony of Psalms (1948 Version): III. Alleluja. Laudate Dominum - Psalmus 150 (Vulgata) Composed by Igor Stravinsky and performed by English Bach Festival Choir and The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Bernstein DISC EIGHT: Let's Say We Did. Composed by John Scofield and Mark-Anthony Turnage and performed by John Scofield, John Patitucci, Peter Erskine, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, hr-Bigband and Hugh WolfBOOK CHOICE: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier LUXURY ITEM: A grand piano and tuning kit CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 Pt. 1 No. 1, Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen. Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach and performed by Bach Collegium Japan, conducted by Masaaki Suzuki Presenter: Lauren Laverne Producer: Sarah Taylor

This week on the podcast is part one of interview with British entrepreneur, Rebecca Driver. She founded RDMR (Rebecca Driver Media Relations) in 2010 after having worked  in classical music PR at Dvora Lewis PR, as publicist at the BBC Proms, BBC Radio 3, and Head of Press at the English National Opera. Make sure you tune in to hear Rebecca's anecdotes and what she's learned over the years working with clients such as the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.  https://www.rdmr.co.uk/

Imogen Whitehead is a true trailblazer in the world of trumpet performance. Currently the principal trumpet of the Britten Sinfonia, Imogen has performed as principal trumpet with some of the world's most prestigious orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra and the Aurora Orchestra. Alongside her orchestral work, she has also carved out a dynamic solo career, commissioning and premiering new trumpet and flugelhorn music, and championing contemporary compositions.In this interview, we explore the wide-ranging facets of Imogen's career and the personal and professional steps she's taken to build her impressive path. We begin in Part 1 by talking about her recent experience touring with the London Symphony Orchestra, where she reflects on both her audition and the challenges and rewards of playing with such a renowned ensemble.We then move on to discuss her time with the Aurora Orchestra, an ensemble that performs much of its repertoire entirely from memory—a fascinating approach that Imogen describes in detail. She also shares insights into her experience premiering Anibal Vidal's Trumpet Concerto with the Britten Sinfonia, and how this commissioning project came to life.Throughout our conversation, we explore the career strategies Imogen has employed, including the importance of building personal connections and the role that social media has played in expanding her reach. Imogen also takes us back to her time as a student at the Royal Academy of Music, where she recalls a transformative lesson with the legendary Jim Watson.In the second part of our conversation [Subscriber Content], Imogen discusses further studies with Norwegian soloist Tine Thing Helseth in Oslo, shedding light on how brief but impactful experiences can shape a musician's growth. She also provides an inside look at the commissioning process for To Stay Open, a piece by Charlotte Harding inspired by the work of psychologist Pippa Grange.We end on a fun note, as Imogen shares the unique experience of playing in the recording and filming of Mahler's 2nd Symphony for the 2023 Film "Maestro", an American biographical romantic drama about Leonard Bernstein..Whether you're a young player, a seasoned professional, or simply a fan of music, this episode with Imogen Whitehead is sure to inspire you to take chances, put in the work, and grow both as a musician and a person.Would you like more inspirational stories, suggestions, insights, and a place to continue the conversations with other listeners? Visit anthonyplog-on-music.supercast.com to learn more! As a Contributing Listener of "Anthony Plog on Music," you'll have access to extra premium content and benefits including: Extra Audio Content: Only available to Contributing Listeners. Podcast Reflections: Tony's written recaps and thoughts on past interviews, including valuable tips and suggestions for students. Ask Me Anything: Both as written messages and occasional member-only Zoom sessions. The Show's Discord Server: Where conversations about interviews, show suggestions, and questions happen. It's a great place to meet other listeners and chat about all things music! Can I just donate instead of subscribing? Absolutely! Cancel at anytime and easily resubscribe when you want all that extra content again. Learn more about becoming a Contributing Listener @ anthonyplog-on-music.supercast.com!

South African soprano Pumeza Matshikiza has performed at many of the leading opera houses across Europe and the United States and released her debut album Voice of Hope, combining well-known arias with traditional and popular African songs. She has won critical acclaim in the title role of Aida at the State Opera Hannover, as the Fox in Janáček's The Cunning Little Vixen at the English National Opera and this summer performed at London's Classical Pride. She is about to accompany Bryn Terfel on a Christmas tour around the UK and joins Nuala in the studio to sing live.CensHERship is an organisation that looks into ways in which women's health companies are censored across both online and financial platforms. A new report from them sets out how even including a word like ‘vagina' in the launch of a sexual health product can mean that product is blocked. Co-founder of CensHERship Clio Wood joins Nuala to discuss what needs to be done and the findings of the report, alongside Tess Cosad, CEO and co-founder of Bea Fertility, and Farah Kabir, co-founder of Hanx – both of whom have experienced censorship of their business.Author Josie Lloyd joins Nuala to discuss her new novel featuring fictional Alice Beeton, the prim and organised owner of The Good Household Management Agency and distant relative of the real-life Victorian cookery and household writer Mrs Beeton. Alice and her ancestor share a love of recipes and an eye for detail, which comes in handy when Alice becomes involved in a cosy, Christmassy crime in Miss Beeton's Murder Agency. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Laura Northedge

This week on the podcast is part one of interview with British entrepreneur, Rebecca Driver. She founded RDMR (Rebecca Driver Media Relations) in 2010 after having worked  in classical music PR at Dvora Lewis PR, as publicist at the BBC Proms, BBC Radio 3, and Head of Press at the English National Opera.  Make sure you tune in to hear Rebecca's anecdotes and what she's learned over the years working with clients such as the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.  https://www.rdmr.co.uk/

Beethoven's first attempt at opera, Leonore, premiered in Vienna on 20th November, 1805. Attendance was sparse, due in part to Napoleon's recent invasion: the audience largely composed of French officers. And, unlike almost all his other work, the piece still has a reputation as ‘A Director's Graveyard'. Why? Possibly because the setting - a jail - is drab and uninspiring. Perhaps because the archetypal characters are mostly singing about their inner life. Or… maybe because it's all sung in German, and Beethoven didn't know how to write for singers? In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discover how the great composer made an initial impact on Austria thanks to his virtuoso piano skills, not his compositions; reveal the multiple occasions on which he attempted to re-work his flop (finally debuting a revised Fidelio in 1814 to great acclaim); and explain why Leonore was the Spider-Man of its day… Further Reading: • 'Fidelio: Story, Synopsis & More' (English National Opera):: https://www.eno.org/operas/fidelio/ • ‘Beethoven: Fidelio, By Peter Gutmann' (Classical Notes, 2014): http://www.classicalnotes.net/opera/fidelio.html • ‘Stage@Seven: Beethoven: Fidelio (Ouverture) - Andrés Orozco-Estrada' (Frankfurt Radio Symphony, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ8xsi42ubA Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Send us a textAmid global uncertainty, are boardrooms needlessly complex? Is It possible to thrive in the boardroom by keeping things simple? In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Director of Better Boards www.better-boards.com, discusses being on the board with Sir John Tusa.  Sir John has been known to the public as the main presenter of BBC2's Newsnight and the Managing Director of some of the most iconic media and cultural centres in the United Kingdom. “The things that really make a difference are what I call the simple ones”Sir John suggests that although being on a board involves significant challenges in an increasingly complex world, it is not necessarily complicated.  He explains that the complicated aspects of board service involve fundamental duties: understanding the organisation's legal basis, following regulatory expectations, and recognising responsibilities toward shareholders or stakeholders. These regulatory and procedural tasks are necessary, but are only part of the board's work.  Simple, straightforward actions and values can truly make a difference. They hold substantial value in shaping the organisation's success and fulfilling the board's deeper purpose.“The more generous you can be with your time, the better it is for the organisation, and the better it is for you as a board member”Regarding time, Sir John also points out that when he was first invited to join the board of the English National Opera around 25 years ago, the chair reassured him that annual board commitments would be minimal.  Since then, expectations have evolved significantly, and today board roles can easily demand 30 to 40 days or more per year. “When I hear the word board pack, I almost want to reach for my bonfire”He describes a frustration he has with the common organisational tactic where executives overload non-executive directors with extensive paperwork.  In some organisations, this may be deliberate, to overwhelm non-executive board members with so much information that it becomes virtually impossible for them to thoroughly review or question it.  This tactic, he argues, is a way for executives to discourage meaningful input from non-execs by drowning them in details.  To counteract this, he advocates a slim board pack approach.  “If you don't know your fellow board members, you probably don't know the executive well enough either”Sir John emphasises the critical importance of knowing fellow board members and even the executive team well, viewing this familiarity as vital to effective board service.  A disconnect among directors and executives stems largely from the overwhelming focus on paperwork and procedural accountability, which, in his view, can impede meaningful connections and decision-making.  “There are no stupid questions, and there are no stupid opinions”Sir John offers direct advice to board members who feel overwhelmed by excessive paperwork and information overload and stresses the importance of voicing concerns and setting boundaries if the volume of information prevents them from making informed contributions.  The three top takeaways from our conversation are:1.      You have the right to ask questions and to offer opinions about any subject before the board. 2.     Identify concealment or evasion, and always remember that a hidden problem can lead to a much worse crisis later on. 3.     You can't do your job if covered with paper and sometimes deliberate you're covered with paper and sometimes deliberate evasion, and you may have to say, "There's no point in sitting on this board because I'm unable to do my job."

Have you ever thought about how you breathe? For many of us, the 20,000+ breaths we take each day go underneath our conscious awareness. But every now and then, a short-lived spout or a chronic case of breathlessness can remind us just how vital good breathing is for our health. But can we all breathe “better”? Some wellness trends suggest so... James Gallagher gets to grips with mouth-taping: the practice of taping the mouth shut during the night to promote exclusive ‘nasal breathing'. Many claim it has improved their sleep, their athletic performance and even given them a more chiselled jaw. Ken O'Halloran, professor of physiology at University College Cork, explains what research has been done looking into this trend and warns about when taping might do more harm than good. James also visits The Coliseum in Covent Garden to hear how an operatic training programme has improved the quality of life for people living with Long-COVID. ENO Breathe, designed by The English National Opera and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, has seen 4000 people learn to breathe like a classical singer to help them handle breathlessness. Creative director, Suzi Zumpe, and respiratory registrar, Keir Philip, talk through the programme and its impacts. Finally, could taking consciousness control of our breathing for a short time each day improve our health? Guy Fincham, researcher at the University of Sussex, dives into his PhD research on breathwork, including his initial studies looking at who might benefit from these practices. Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Julia Ravey Content Editor: Holly Squire Studio Engineer: Giles Aspen Production Coordinator: Ismael Soriano This programme was produced in partnership with The Open University.

On this episode of the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast Live, host Simon Scriver chats with Marina Jones, Executive Director of Development at English National Opera, about why fundraisers love chasing shiny new ideas instead of learning from the past. Spoiler alert: fundraising wisdom from decades (even centuries) ago still works wonders today! They'll dive into some timeless tips rooted in behavioural science and explore how the fundraisers of the past mastered persuasion long before terms like "heuristics" and "nudges" existed. Plus, they'll tackle age-old challenges like emotional burnout, core costs, and showing impact – and how we can learn from history to solve them now. Individual Giving Conference is back again on 17th October! You can register here. Use discount code FEPODCAST for a 50% discount https://www.fundraisingeverywhere.com/product/individual-giving-conference-2024/?utm_source=Linkedin&utm_medium=Event&utm_campaign=2409IGLinkedinEvent&utm_content=link If you enjoyed this episode, hit follow and turn on notifications to be the first to know when new episodes drop. We can't wait to have you back! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

Welcome to a whole new season of the FoodTech Junkies Podcast. In this episode, we sit down with Anthony Bennett, CEO of Reboot the Future, to explore the crucial role of education in the fight against the climate crisis. Anthony shares his insights on how values-based education can inspire a new generation of leaders to take action, navigate climate disinformation, and foster hope in the face of eco-anxiety. With youth activism on the rise and the education system evolving, this conversation offers powerful ideas for how we can reimagine learning to create a more sustainable future for all. About Anthony Bennett Anthony Bennett is Chief Executive Officer of Reboot the Future, a not-for-profit co-founded by Kim Polman on its own version of the Golden Rule- “To Treat Others, and the Planet, as you would treat yourself”. His career has included senior director level roles at a number of cultural and environmental organizations, including WWF and the English National Opera. He is most interested in the convergence of education, sustainability and philanthropy. www.rebootthefuture.org

American conductor Kellen Gray currently holds the position of Associate Artist with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the first of its kind, but leads a vibrant professional life on both sides of the Atlantic. Recent engagements include the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Minnesota Orchestra, the English National Opera and the Philharmonia, and the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra in Indiana where he is Conductor and Artistic Director.One of the foremost experts and interpreters of the music of African-diasporic composers, Kellen is Assistant Editor and Conductor Liaison for the African Diasporic Music Project. He is also known for being an incredibly versatile artist, crediting the wealth of folk-music styles of the south-eastern United States as some of his earliest influences, which have led to a deep understanding and mastery of not just music that incorporates American folk idioms, but also other composers for whom folk music was important, such as Bartok, de Falla and Vaughan Williams.In this episode, Kellen takes us on his journey from violinist to beekeeper(!) to conductor, including the role that burnout played along the way. He also talks about the importance of diverse programming that is art-led; how despite having many supportive people around him there were times that, as a black conductor, he wasn't taken seriously; and how much the process of recording his two African American Voices albums with the RSNO meant to him.-------------------Kellen's links:WebsiteFacebookInstagram-------------------Follow The Classical Circuit on InstagramDid you enjoy this episode? If so, ratings and follows help a lot with visibility, if you have a spare moment... *bats eyelashes*No offence taken if not.--------------------Music: François Couperin - Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou Les MaillotinsPerformed by Daniel Lebhardt--------------------This podcast is also available to listen to via The Violin Channel--------------------The Classical Circuit is made by Ella Lee (producer by trade, pianist at heart). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

n today's Operaluscious podcast episode, we delve into the exciting news that the English National Opera (ENO) has appointed Matthew Quinn as their new Chorus Director. Matthew, hailing from Belfast and a former assistant content producer at the BBC, expresses his delight in joining ENO and working with their internationally renowned chorus. As we celebrate this artistic milestone, we also address the financial stress faced by performing artists. Remember, financial stability is crucial for sustaining your creative practice! Podcast Sponsor: Thrive Market  Thrive Market believes healthy food is a priority and not just a privilege. Listen: SpotifyWebsite: Bridgette CooperMerch:  Shop my Merch Host Bri Cooper Instagram Harbour for the Arts Instagram Bri Cooper, Mezzo Soprano, MBA, BM (@bricooper.mezzosoprano) • Instagram photos and videos Spotify Playlists Harbour for the Arts Tik Tok Bri Cooper Mezzo Soprano SHOPPING Use my Rakuten CodeBy merch from my website: Merch

The Paris games have just started - and France has made a concerted effort to ensure that this year's Olympics will have a legacy of physical activity for the whole population. However, mega sporting events don't always have that effect, and Fiona Bull, head of physical activity for the WHO, joins us to explain why it's increasingly important that they do. We'll also hear from Professor Sir Denis Perera Gray about how a lifetime of general practice, and why continuity needs to be at the heart of any improvement to primary care. Finally, Harry Brunjes went from being a village GP to the chair of English National Opera, and explains what the two careers have in common.   Reading list Olympic Games: linking sports mega events to population physical activity

Neil Armfield AO is a leading Australian director of theatre, opera and film. Alongside Rachel Healy, Neil was Artistic Director of Adelaide Festival between 2017 and 2022. Prior to that, Neil was the inaugural Artistic Director of Belvoir St Theatre, which he also co-founded, for 17 years.   As Artistic Director of Belvoir, and for other companies, Neil has directed well over 100 productions, with a focus on new and Indigenous writing, Shakespeare, David Hare and Patrick White.  Some highlights include; The Tempest, Hamlet, Up the Road, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, Keating!, Toy Symphony, Dallas Winmar's Aliwa, Angels in America, A Cheery Soul, Signal Driver, The Blind Giant is Dancing and Things I KnowTo Be True. Neil's production of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman opened in late 2023 to glowing reviews. Produced by GWB Entertainment and Red Line Productions at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne, it starred Anthony LaPaglia and Alison Whyte. After the success of the Melbourne season, the play will be presented at the Theatre Royal Sydney in May/June 2024.   In 2022, Neil directed the world premiere of the oratorio Watershed: The Death of Dr Duncan by Joseph Twist at the Adelaide Festival, and Glyndebourne Festival's production of Brett Dean's Hamlet at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Neil directed the same production of Hamlet at Munich's Bayerische Staatsoper in July 2023. For the 2021 Adelaide Festival, Neil directed the Australian premiere of A German Life by Christopher Hampton, starring Robyn Nevin, as well as Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream in the Festival Theatre. Later that year he directed an acclaimed production of Rameau's comic masterpiece Platée for Pinchgut Opera. In addition to his extensive work in Australia, many of Neil's productions have played internationally. These include Cloudstreet (toured to London, Dublin, Zurich, New York), The Diary of a Madman (with Geoffrey Rush, toured to Moscow, St Petersburg, New York), Exit The King (Broadway), The Book of Everything (toured to New York), The Judas Kiss (toured Australia with Bille Brown, London, New York and Toronto with Rupert Everett), The Secret River (adapted by Andrew Bovell, toured to Edinburgh Festival and London) and the world premiere of David Hare's I'm Not Running for National Theatre in London. Neil frequently collaborates with major opera companies, having directed productions at The Metropolitan Opera, English National Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Chicago Lyric Opera, Zurich Opera, Bregenz Festival, Washington National Opera, Opera Australia, Pinchgut, Canadian Opera, Welsh National Opera, and Houston Grand Opera. In addition to classics by Mozart, Britten and Wagner, Neil directed the premieres of Frankie and The Eighth Wonder by Alan John, Whitsunday by Brian Howard, Love Burns by Graeme Koehne and Bliss and Hamlet by Brett Dean. For screen, Neil directed and co-wrote the feature film Candy, starring Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish, which screened at over twenty international films festivals including In Competition at the Berlinale. Neil was awarded Best Adapted Screenplay at the AFI Awards and an AWGIE for Best Screenplay. Neil's second feature film Holding the Man premiered at Sydney Film Festival in 2015. For television, Neil directed miniseries Edens Lost for ABC (AFI Award Best Director and Best Mini-Series), The Fisherman's Wake (by Andrew Bovell), which won an ATOM Award for Best Original TV Production, and Coral Island (by Nick Enright). Over his distinguished career, Neil has received 2 AFI Awards, 12 Helpmann Awards and several Sydney Theatre, Victorian Green Room and Sydney Theatre Critics Circle Awards. He holds Honorary Doctorates from Adelaide, Sydney and NSW Universities, and in 2007 was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts.

Tom Service talks to Sir Mark Elder about the legacy that he is leaving behind him after 24 years as Music Director at the Hallé Orchestra. He talks to Tom about Charles Hallé and his mission to set up an orchestra for all the people of Manchester, and how his ethos is still central to the orchestra today. Not only has mark Elder evolved the sound of the orchestra and transformed music-making in Manchester, putting generations of choral singers associated with the Hallé centre stage, but he has forged an identity for Hallé as the orchestra to play British music, and particularly the works of Elgar. Mark Elder also talks to Tom about his tenure at English National Opera, and the current funding crises that face music in the UK. As he prepares to step down from the Hallé, he also reflects on how coincidental it is that he should have been destined for Manchester, once the home of his great Uncle. Norman Cocker, who was a well-known organist at the Cathedral there.

US-born Zachary James is a Grammy award winning actor and musician, who has had a lustrous career across stage and screen, having originated several iconic Broadway roles and sung with the world's greatest orchestras and opera companies, including The New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra and NHK Symphony Tokyo to name a few.   He will be returning to the West End as ‘Hades' in the Tony and Grammy winning musical, HADESTOWN. The Broadway musical is making its long-awaited London premiere, and follows the entwining mythic tale of two love stories between Orpheus and Eurydice and that of King Hades of the Underworld and his wife Persephone. The show will open at the Lyric Theatre on 10th February, described by Vogue as ‘your next musical theatre obsession'.   After majoring in Musical Theatre at Ithaca College, James made his Broadway debut in CORAM BOY at the Imperial Theatre before playing ‘Thomas Hassinger' in the original cast of the Tony Award winning production of SOUTH PACIFIC (Lincoln Center). He then originated the role of ‘Lurch' in the Broadway musical of THE ADDAMS FAMILY (Lunt-Fontanne Theatre), followed by his professional operatic debut as ‘Abraham Lincoln' in THE PERFECT AMERICAN (Teatro Real) in Madrid, which was written specifically for Zachary by renowned composer, Philip Glass. He then revived the role on the West End for English National Opera and in Brisbane for Opera Queensland.   Following this, Zachary created the role of ‘Amenhotep' in the Olivier Award winning production of AKHNATEN on the West End for English National Opera, later reprising the role for The Metropolitan Opera and Los Angeles Opera. Other theatre highlights include the role of ‘John Claggart' in the Emmy Award winning PBS broadcast of BILLY BUDD (Des Moines Metro Opera), ‘Sweeney Todd' in SWEENEY TODD (Opera Omaha) and more.   Zachary made his first television debut alongside Tina Fey and Steve Martin as ‘Carl', a Federal Agent, on beloved American sitcom 30 ROCK before appearing on a number of series including MURPHY BROWN, LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME, and THE BLACKLIST.

On this week's show we discuss questions and potential legal action over the politicisation of arts funding, as Kneecap are denied money by the British government and Arts Council England issues new guidance for anyone thinking of being controversial, plus the legal battle over royalties currently brewing between MLC and Pandora, and more. SECTION TIMES 01: Arts funding (00:04:23) 02: News in brief (00:14:54) 03: MLC v Pandora (00:16:46) (Timings may be slightly different due to adverts) THIS WEEK'S MAIN STORIES • UK Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch's decision to block MEGS funding for Kneecap “unlawful” says band as it prepares legal action • Arts Council says free speech and controversy is fine, but please follow a detailed risk assessment first • MLC sues Pandora over unpaid royalties NEWS IN BRIEF • Tributes pour in as BBC radio presenter Steve Wright dies • Musicians' Union reluctantly reaches deal with English National Opera over orchestra cutbacks • NTIA says nightlife faces cultural crisis after 400 club closures since 2020 • As another grassroots venue closes, MVT renews calls for a ticket levy ALSO MENTIONED • Music industry welcomes German ruling holding TikTok liable for unlicensed content

[@ 4 min] Can't wait to find out who'll win the AFC and NFC conferences? In 'Chalk Talk', we pick the Super Bowl contenders with our patented opera prediction method… [@ 24 min] Jonathan Cohen takes a 'Free Throw' on the different national approaches of performance practice in early music. The cellist, harpsichordist, and conductor nerds out with Oliver on Baroque stuff in advance of his debut with Chicago's MOB… [@ 36 min] In the ‘Two Minute Drill'… Will the English National Opera chorus finally go on strike…? GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 @operaboxscore IG operaboxscore

Marina Abramović is an artist renowned for performances and feats of endurance, in which her body is pushed to its limits. She has moved, scandalised and delighted audiences for half a century, and is now celebrated by world-leading galleries and institutions. Marina was born in Belgrade in 1946. Her parents were honoured as war heroes for their work for the Partisan resistance movement, and both took up senior roles in the post-war Yugoslav government. Marina became interested in painting during her childhood, and went on to study art. She first made her name as a performance artist in her 20s, creating events which often shocked viewers – and were equally traumatic for her. In 1974 she placed 72 objects, including sharp tools, a whip and a loaded pistol, on a table and invited gallery goers to use them on her, however they wished. She was attacked and left scarred, and part of her hair went white. For many years she led a nomadic existence, creating works with her partner, the German artist Ulay. In 1997, in response to the war in Bosnia, she created a prize-winning work for the Venice Biennale, in which for four days she attempted to scrub the blood from a vast pile of cow bones. In 2010 her exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York attracted almost a million people, many queuing for hours for a chance to sit opposite her in silence as part of her marathon performance The Artist is Present. More recently her work has been celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition at the Royal Academy in London, along with performances at English National Opera, marking the centenary of Maria Callas. DISC ONE: Aria from The Goldberg Variations. Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach German composer and musician, performed by Igor Levit DISC TWO: Norma, Act 1: "Casta diva". Composed by Vincenzo Bellini, performed by Maria Callas (soprano) and Coro del Teatro alla Scala di Milano DISC THREE: 4 Degrees - Anohni DISC FOUR: Paloma Negra - Chavela Vargas DISC FIVE: Private Dancer - Tina Turner DISC SIX: Sherab Nyingpo Mantra (The Heart Sutra) - Tashi Lhumpo Monks DISC SEVEN: Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467 - 2. Andante. Composed by Mozart and performed by Mitsuko Uchida (piano), with the English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jeffrey Tate DISC EIGHT: Rum And Coca-Cola - The Andrews Sisters BOOK CHOICE: In Search of the Miraculous by Peter D Ouspensky LUXURY ITEM: A cashmere blanket CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Sherab Nyingpo Mantra (The Heart Sutra) - Tashi Lhunpo MonksPresenter Lauren Laverne Producer Sarah Taylor

Scotland-based American conductor Kellen Gray is Assistant Conductor of the English National Opera and Assistant Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. He's attuned to the orchestral repertory, including Bela Bartok, Antonin Dvorak, Aaron Copland, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. He's also passionate about championing African-diasporic composers, and has two critically acclaimed albums - African-American Voices 1 and 2 - with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Suzanne spoke with Kellen Gray about his introduction to music growing up in South Carolina, and how it continues to impact his work as a conductor.

Marina Abramovic is an artist who for more than fifty years has pushed her mind and body to their limits - whether walking into a fire and almost dying from smoke inhalation, being stripped and attacked while passively allowing the public to manipulate her with tools and weapons, or sitting without interruption in MOMA for more than 700 hours facing the public. She's currently in London playing Maria Callas on stage at the English National Opera; and she's got a major retrospective of her work at the Royal Academy. We brought her together for a live ons stage interview with the director of the design museum, Tim Marlow, to talk about Nomadic Journey And Spirit of Places - her new book collecting notes, sketches, poetry, and doodles made while travelling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lucinda and Rory are joined by Sophie Tebbetts, head of programmes at the food poverty charity FoodCycle, to learn about the different techniques used to attract and retain the charity's 15,000 volunteers.Sophie explains how FoodCycle's roots in universities have informed its volunteer strategy and enabled it to maintain a healthy roster of volunteers, most of whom fall within the 25 to 45 age range. She stresses the importance of flexibility and streamlined induction processes, as well as open communication channels with the charity's core team and events to recognise and celebrate the critical role played by FoodCycle's volunteers.Charity Changed My Life features the story of the forces veteran Brian Brown, who received vital support from Help for Heroes during his recovery from an alcohol addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder.Also in the episode, Rory sheds light on the news of strike-off action initiated against the English National Opera and the surprise departure of its music director.Do you have stories of people whose lives have been transformed for the better thanks to your charity? If so, we'd like to hear them! All it takes is a short voice message to be featured on this podcast. Email lucinda.rouse@haymarket.com for further information.Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.Read the transcript. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anna O'Byrne has established an international career spanning opera, theatre, concert and film.  Well known for her performance as Eliza Doolittle in Opera Australia's My Fair Lady, Anna received the 2017 Helpmann Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical.  Andrew Lloyd Webber cast Anna as Christine Daaé in Love Never Dies, his sequel to The Phantom of the Opera. Anna made her West End debut as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre, London.  Subsequent West End credits include The Woman in White, Strangers on a Train, Kings of Broadway, and A Little Night Music.  Anna debuted with English National Opera in Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, starring Emma Thompson.  She recently completed the Australian Tour of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap and touring with her one-woman show Becoming Eliza. The show reflects on her unique experience and shares stories about working intimately with internationally adored icon Julie Andrews.  Anna takes the show to Melbourne for a very special performance on August 26th. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au

Duncan Rock is a singer and a nutritionist who works with the likes of Vocal Health Education and The Voice Care Centre. He returns to the podcast to discuss the topic of understanding singing and fitness. KEY TAKEAWAYS People often think the benefits of exercise are just weight loss and gaining muscle, but the far more important benefits are around increasing the length and quality of your life.  Exercise also increases your cardiovascular, metabolic, muscular, neurological, digestive and mental health.  Being strong and having good cardiovascular health can be valuable on stage, especially if you're playing a demanding role. An example often given is the role of Don Giovanni in Mozart's Don Giovanni, which requires a fight in the very first scene.  For some people, exercise decreases the time it takes for their body tissues to recover from strenuous work. This is because when you exercise regularly, your blood flow, metabolic health and cellular healing tend to improve. The fitter you are, the more it benefits you. Performers should be mindful of the three pillars of fitness: strength, mobility and cardiovascular endurance. Duncan cautions singers against doing just one type of activity as they may experience hyper-adaptation to that activity over time. This will be to the detriment of your other capacities. Duncan believes that singing teachers often get it wrong when they warn students against lifting weights out of fear it will ruin their voice. He thinks singers need to be mindful of not developing muscular imbalances that could lead to excessive tension and high threshold strategies. These high threshold strategies refer to the unnecessary overworking of muscles, which can impact the vocal mechanism. BEST MOMENTS‘Exercise is one of the best things you can do to increase your length and quality of life' ‘It doesn't matter how good your technique is, if you're out of breath, you're not going to be able to do it'‘People who have high cardiovascular health, their vocal tissue recovers faster' ‘Address each part of the pillar as its own goal' ‘There is no relation to the visibility of someone's six-pack and its rigidity or flexibility'‘Don't do crunches, I don't think it's necessary' ‘Getting the right amount of nutrients from whole foods is infinitely more important than nutrient timing'  EPISODE RESOURCES Website: duncanrocknutrition.com  Social Media:  Instagram: @duncanrock_nutrition  Relevant Links & Mentions:  Singing Teachers Talk Podcast - Ep. 100 The Truth About Singing and Dairy with Nutritionist Duncan Rock  Sussex Back Pain Clinic: https://www.sussexbackpainclinic.co.uk/ Claudia Hodgson-Rodriguez: @claudia.theatrefit Exercises mentioned: Pallof Press; Woodchop; Kettlebell Halo; Deadlift; Romanian Deadlift; Bench Press; Push Ups; Pull Ups/Downs; Rows; Rucking  Mahant Amar Bharati Ji  Firas Zahabi Tristar Gym: https://tristargym.com/trainers/firas-zahabi/ Stephen King and The Voice Care Centre: https://voicecarecentre.co.uk/stephen-king/ ABOUT THE GUEST Duncan is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London) and West Australian Academy of Performing Arts. He has an active career as an operatic baritone performing roles at many of the world's leading opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera, Glyndebourne, English National Opera, Teatro Real and the Boston Lyric Opera. As a baritone soloist, he has recorded and performed with the London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Duncan also works as a nutritionist and nutritional science writer. He holds a Masters of Science in Nutritional Science and an advanced diploma in nutrition and weight management. His speciality is combining his parallel fields of study and providing nutritional information for performing artists. He is cognisant, from an academic and personal standpoint, of the heavy demands of a busy performing and travel schedule. He has been using his knowledge of diet and nutrition to propel his own career and help other performers attain optimal vocal and physical health. Duncan is now part of the team at the Sussex Back Pain Clinic.MMus MMperf MSc MRSPH ABOUT THE PODCASTBAST Training is here to help singers gain the knowledge, skills and understanding required to be a great singing teacher. We can help you whether you are getting started or just have some knowledge gaps to fill through our courses and educational events.Website: basttraining.comGet updates to your inbox: Click here for updates from BAST TrainingLink to presenter's bios: basttraining.com/singing-teachers-talk-podcast-biosThis show was brought to you by Progressive Media

We meet Daniel Lismore live at Hay Festival 2023!Daniel is a London-based artist. He was born in Bournemouth and raised in Fillongley Village on the border of Coventry. Although he started his career as an artist from the perspective of the outsider, working as a photographer within a year he had moved in front of the lens as a model, later emerging as a creative consultant for Mert & Marcus, Steven Klein, David LaChapelle and Ellen von Unwerth. Lismore has been named by Vogue as ‘England's Most Eccentric Dresser'. In 2017 he was selected in the top hundred of the Out 100 List. In 2018 and 2020 he was named in the top hundred, Guardian's Pride Power List.​In 2016, Daniel Lismore became the Circuit Ambassador for the Tate Museums. Here, Lismore hosted his first two exhibitions in Tate Modern 2012 and Tate Britain 2013 featuring self-portraits.​Daniel Lismore's first book, ‘Be Yourself, Everyone Else Is Already Taken,' published by Rizzoli in 2016, documented the 32 figurative sculptures of Lismore which comprised his first USA museum exhibition. The exhibition was co-curated by Raphael Gomes and Savannah College of Art and Design and was later displayed at Miami Art Basel. In May 2017 Lismore exhibited at the Venice Biennale. In June 2018, Lismore curated a month-long show of his work at Harpa Hall in Iceland as the highlight of the Reykjavik Arts Festival. The exhibition subsequently toured Europe, opening at the Pan Museum in Naples and Stary Brower Gallery in Poznań, Poland. The exhibition has been attended by over 150,000+ visitors. In April 2019 Lismore gave a TED Talk at the main TED conference in Vancouver, titled "My Life as A Work of Art" in which he spoke about his life as a Living Sculpture.​In September 2019, Lismore opened Naomi Campbell's Fashion for Relief runway show at the British Museum revealing one of the first costumes he designed for the English National Opera (in collaboration with Swarovski) for Harrison Birtwistle's iconic opera The Mask of Orpheus which was staged at the London Coliseum. ​During the Covid-19 pandemic, Lismore resided between Coventry and London working on LGBTQ+ activism and new artworks. His show Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken was opened in February 2022 in Coventry UK City of Culture at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum it attracted around 50,000 guests from all over the world.​In 2021 Lismore took a selection of his show Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken and exhibited them at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London as part of their Fashion in Motion program. This was also his debut performance as a performance artist. He joined the sculptures exhibiting himself as a statue between his works to deliver a dialogue under a mask to confuse the audience.​In 2023 Lismore exhibited “Studio Visit” a site-specific installation based on the studio environment that is instrumental to his practice, aiming to give visitors a unique insight into the creative process and the development of his work in Giant Gallery Bournemouth, co-curated by Stuart Semple. Follow @DanielLismoreVisit: https://www.daniellismore.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE 1548: In this KEEN ON episode, Andrew talks to Peter Cave, the author of HOW TO THINK LIKE A PHILOSOPHER, about the scholars, dreamers and sages who can teach us how to live Peter Cave read philosophy at University College London (UCL) and King's College, Cambridge. He has held lectureships in philosophy at UCL, University of Khartoum, Sudan, and City University London; he was an associate lecturer for many many years at the Open University (and is now Honorary) and New York University (London). Further, he is a principal examiner for the Chartered Insurance Institute. Peter is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Honorary Member of Population Matters, former member of the Council of the Royal Institute of Philosophy and Chair of Humanist Philosophers – and is a Patron of Humanists UK. He is also a keen supporter of the Wigmore Hall and for some years English National Opera (now under unjustified funding cuts). He was elected to The Athenaeum Pall Mall Club in 2007. Author of numerous philosophical papers, both serious and humorous, Peter's particular interests are paradoxes, ethical matters and life and death dilemmas. He has given guest philosophy lectures at, for example, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Bucharest and has edited collections and written articles for various publications. In previous decades, he was columnist on taxation and money myths for The Investor magazine. Peter has scripted and presented BBC radio philosophy programmes – from a series on the Paradox Fair to more serious ones on John Stuart Mill. He often takes part in public debates on religion, ethics and socio-political matters, in Britain and on the Continent – and believes that one should ‘stand up and be counted' when faced with some horrors, horrors that are often the result of religious belief or unbridled enthusiasm for capitalism. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fin Ross Russell is joined by Ross Middleton to talk through an action-packed first Semi. They explore Croatia's return to the Grand Final, Serbia's status as contest trend-setters and Norway's nervous moments. Fin also takes a pre-show trip to the Eurovillage to watch the English National Opera perform Eurovision covers with some special guests. The post Eurovision Insight Podcast: Daily News From Liverpool, Wednesday 10th May appeared first on ESC Insight - Home of the Unofficial Eurovision Song Contest Podcast.

The acclaimed British theatre director, Tinuke Craig embarks on her opera debut at the English National Opera with Blue, a tale of police violence in America and its impact on a New York family. The opera has been composed by the Tony award-winning Jeanine Tesori, with a libretto by Tazewell Thompson. Anna Bailey follows Tinuke and her operatic collaborators as she embarks on a challenging new chapter in her career.

The singers Enrico Caruso and Elsie Houston, a new opera at ENO and links between musical and artistic traditions in Latin America, Europe and New York are explored by the academics Ditlev Rindom and New Generation Thinker Adjoa Osei. Plus the baritone Peter Brathwaite has an exhibition of lockdown photographs in which he recreates the poses of black people portrayed in paintings from the last 800 years opening in Bristol (the photographs have also been published in a book) and has a musical work in progress, shown at the ROH, which explores his family's Barbadian history. Shahidha Bari hosts Blue runs at English National Opera from April 20th - May 4th Adjoa Osei is organising a conference at Trinity College, the University of Cambridge on April 28th called Performing Black Womanhood Dr Ditlev Rindom is a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow at King's College, London currently finishing his first book, Singing in the City: Opera, Italianità, and Transatlantic Exchange, 1887-1914 Peter Brathwaite's Insurrection: A Work in Progress was performed at the Royal Opera House and you can hear more about his research in this Sunday feature for BBC Radio 3 Rebel Sounds: Musical Resistance in Barbados https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001hg3t An exhibition of his photographs Rediscovering Black Portraiture is at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery from April 14th to July 16th. A book accompanies the show. You can find his Essay series about the portraits on BBC Sounds https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000nbrl Producer: Torquil MacLeod

This episode is very special! It marks 100 episodes of the BAST Singing Teachers Talk podcast! We just wanted to take a second to do a massive shout out to all of the incredible guests we've spoken to and also you, our amazing listeners! To thank you for joining us, we're running a special giveaway to win over a thousand pounds worth of educational videos, knowledge and singing teacher goodness! All you need to do to enter is take a screenshot of this episode of the podcast playing on your device, pop it on your story and tag @basttraining. That's it! You're entered! We'll be announcing winners over on Instagram and Facebook so give us a cheeky follow. Competition entry ends at midnight tonight so get screenshotting! On to the podcast and on this milestone episode we're joined by Duncan Rock, a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama who has an active career as an operatic Baritone performing roles at many of the world's leading opera houses. He is a nutritionist working with the likes of Vocal Health Education and The Voice Care Centre and is currently training to be a physiotherapist.    KEY TAKEAWAYS   Singers have a ritual of avoiding eating chocolate before singing because they think as it naturally contains caffeine, it will dry you out and constrict the muscles around your vocal cords. It's also an acid reflux trigger, creates more phlegm, and it coats the back of the throat giving you a flatter sounding voice. Duncan believes this is just a performative act people give as there is very little evidence that it will actually have any effect.  Liquids that are emulsive, whether dairy or not, can create the feeling of thickness and can feel like they leave a sticky residue in your throat. This goes away with time and you can even just wash it off with a glass of water.  Sugar has long term effects on our health that happens over time with large consumption. It will not have any short term effects on your voice. We do need to watch our sugar intake, but this is just a long term health risk rather than a vocal one.  In Duncan's opinion, trying to manage chronic inflammation and digestive health seems to have the best overall net result for any vocal health issues around mucus and reflux. Chronic inflammation is becoming more of an issue due to stress and the amount of processed food we eat.  It's a myth that Duncan has heard at every single level of his career in classical music that if you are fit and exercise then you can't sing opera. Pavarotti was an amazing singer despite his weight, not because of it.    BEST MOMENTS   ‘Dairy does not create mucus, this is a myth' ‘You're just as likely to experience the same thing with a soy based drink as with dairy' ‘These lists of best food for singers you find online are rarely based on anything substantial'   EPISODE RESOURCES  Guest Website: www.basttraining.com Social Media: duncanrocknutrition.com  Social Media:  Instagram: @duncanrock_nutrition  Relevant Links & Mentions:  Vocal Health Education: vocalhealtlh.co.uk Pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ Singing Teachers Talk Podcast: Ep. 60 The Best Nutritional Do's and Don'ts for Singers with Stephanie Moore: https://linktr.ee/basttraining?utm_source   ABOUT THE GUEST    Duncan is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London) and West Australian Academy of Performing Arts. He has an active career as an operatic Baritone performing roles at many of the world's leading opera houses including the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera, Glyndebourne, English National Opera, Teatro Real and the Boston Lyric Opera. As a baritone soloist, he has recorded and performed with the London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony orchestra. Concurrently with his performing career, Duncan works as a Nutritionist and Nutritional Science Writer. He holds a Masters of Science in Nutritional Science and an advanced diploma in nutrition and weight management. His speciality is combining his parallel fields of study and providing nutritional information for performing artists. He is cognisant, from both an academic and personal standpoint, of the heavy demands of a busy performing schedule that often includes the demands of rigorous travel. He has been using his knowledge of diet and nutrition to propel his own career as well as help other performers attain optimal vocal and physical health. MMus MMperf MSc MRSPH   ABOUT THE PODCAST   BAST Training is here to help singers gain the knowledge, skills and understanding required to be a great singing teacher. We can help you whether you are getting started or just have some knowledge gaps to fill through our courses and educational events. Website: basttraining.com Get updates to your inbox: Click here for updates from BAST Training Link to presenter's bios: basttraining.com/singing-teachers-talk-podcast-biosSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hugh Jackman talks to Samira Ahmed about his role in Florian Zeller's new film The Son, in which he plays a father struggling with his child's mental health issues. Kevin Jared Hosein, who won the Commonwealth Short Story Prize in 2018, talks about his first novel for adults. Hungry Ghosts tells the stories of the marginalised Hindu people of Trinidad, focusing on a family who, close by a luxurious estate, live in poverty in a ‘barrack', in the early 1940s. Philip Oltermann, the Guardian's Berlin bureau chief tells us why, despite it winning Best Film at the BAFTAs last night, critics in Germany are not showering praise on Netflix's German-language film, All Quiet on the Western Front. And in the light of funding cuts and plans for English National Opera to be moved out of London, the former head of Opera Europa Nicholas Payne and English Touring Opera's chief Robin Norton-Hale discuss what a strategy for opera in the UK could look like. Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Paul Waters

Beijing denies Washington's claims it was being used to spy on the US. Also: Thousands of Israelis protest in Tel Aviv against the plans by the Netanyahu government to give itself more powers over appointing judges, and the English National Opera prepares to stage a newly translated version of Wagner's The Rhinegold.

[@ 4 min] We go ‘Inside the Huddle' with conductor Gil Rose, founder of Odyssey Opera and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. The companies just completed the second run of John Corigliano's “Lord of Cries” and are preparing the East Coast premiere of the Oliver Sacks opera “Awakenings”… [@ 34 min] In the ‘Listener Mailbag'… A field report on the American Opera Initiative… [@ 37 min] In the ‘Two Minute Drill'… Who blinked in the game of opera chicken between English National Opera and Arts Council England…? We're back with an all-new show next week when we go ‘Inside the Huddle' with soprano Kerriann Otaño, Opera Delaware's VP of Engagement… Join us! SHOW NOTES Gil Rose: https://www.gilroseconductor.com/biography Odyssey Opera: http://www.odysseyopera.org/ BMOP: http://www.bmop.org/ AWAKENINGS: https://tobiaspicker.com/opera/awakenings AOI: https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/opportunities-for-artists/competitions-and-commissions/american-opera-initiative/ ENO: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-64305759 GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 @operaboxscore IG operaboxscore

Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is  Kelly Molson, Founder of Rubber Cheese.Download the Rubber Cheese 2022 Visitor Attraction Website Report - the first digital benchmark statistics for the attractions sector.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website rubbercheese.com/podcast.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned in this podcastCompetition ends July 31st 2023. The winner will be contacted via Twitter. Show references: https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/https://twitter.com/McKayElihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethmckay1/  Elizabeth McKay is an award-winning creative leader with experience in heritage, public-service broadcasting, and commercial advertising. She joined London Transport Museum as Chief Operating Officer in September 2018 to lead the design and delivery of its future vision. Elizabeth is an active Trustee and Deputy Chair of Kids in Museums, an independent charity dedicated to making museums open and welcoming to families, and a member of the Insights Council supporting the English National Opera. Elizabeth was previously Chief Learning Officer at Historic Royal Palaces, where she developed a new strategy that doubled the reach with new audiences. Her large-scale events and activities were recognised for excellence in the sector with awards including from Museum + Heritage and Learning Technologies. Before that, Elizabeth was the Head of BBC Knowledge Campaigns and an Executive Producer. Her projects won a Webby, Peabody, Children's Bafta and a Royal Television Society Education Award for Best Campaign. Elizabeth had a successful career working on leading brands at Grey Advertising in London and New York. Elizabeth holds a BA in English and American Literature and Language from Harvard University and an MBA from Oxford's Graduate School of Business. She lives in London with her husband and two children and enjoys taking part in the many rich cultural experiences that London offers.   Transcriptions: Kelly Molson: Welcome to Skip the Queue, a podcast for people working in or working with visitor attractions. I'm your host, Kelly Molson. Each episode, I speak with industry experts from the attractions world. These chats are fun, informative, and hopefully always interesting. In today's episode, I speak with Elizabeth McKay, Chief Operating Officer at the London Transport Museum. Elizabeth shares how else LTM has developed a culture of innovation and how creative and entrepreneurial ideas are encouraged and supported at the museum. If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on itunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue. Kelly Molson: Elizabeth, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast. It's lovely to see you. Elizabeth McKay: This is really exciting. I wasn't sure when you asked me to do this, but it would all be about but now we're here. Kelly Molson: It's going to be wonderful, Elizabeth. But first, as ever, I have to ask you some ice breaker questions, because that is the rule of the podcast. Elizabeth McKay: I understand. Kelly Molson: Okay, so if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be? Elizabeth McKay: Oh, on top of a ski mountain, no question. Kelly Molson: Oh, you're this is fabulous. We're recording this in the run up to Christmas listeners, and it is snowy in London, so this is fabulous for you. Elizabeth McKay: London does not have the slopes or the incline that I would like, and the powder does not remain on the ground for long enough. Kelly Molson: And let's face it, trudging through London in the snow is not like being at the top of a mountain skiing down it, is it? Elizabeth McKay: No, it's not as beautiful as it might be walking around my local cemetery before it melts. Not the same. Kelly Molson: Okay, good. So would you rather travel back in time to meet your ancestors or go to the future to meet your descendants? Elizabeth McKay: That's a really good question. I probably want to do both. I'd like to go back in time because some of my ancestors travelled across the plains in America in covered wagons, and I think that just slightly blows my mind. They even took English antiques with them. It just doesn't seem right. All that pain they went through. The future would be really good, too. Oh, my God. Kelly Molson: That is absolutely fascinating. Elizabeth McKay: It's part of our lore.Kelly Molson: And I love that you've come full circle, as though they trust you all the way over there and you've trusted all the way back. Elizabeth McKay: I know. Yeah. I don't know how they feel about that, but I'm making the eastward migration. Kelly Molson: All right, as I mentioned, we are recording this just in the run up to Christmas. So what one thing would you most like to achieve in 2023? Elizabeth McKay: Well, we're working on our five year strategy right now, so I'd probably most like to land that, be very clear about our forward direction of travel and be kind of aligned with that view with a bunch of happy, engaged, enthusiastic people. Kelly Molson: Excellent. And that sets the tone for what we're going to talk about on this podcast today. But unpopular opinion first. What have you prepared for us, Elizabeth? Elizabeth McKay: Dark unsweetened chocolate is much better than milky sweet chocolate. So the nastier the better, the more bitter, the less sugar, higher the cocoa. Kelly Molson: What percentage are you going? Are you going 85 and higher? Elizabeth McKay: Yeah, 85% or 90 if you're really brave. Kelly Molson: I like this unpopular opinion and I'm going to say I don't know how unpopular it is because we made a bit of a shift over to Dutch. So my husband is a massive chocoholic. Like, if a pudding on the menu is not chocolate, he's not having it. And if chocolate is in the house, he's eating it. But he made the switch over to dark chocolate because he can eat a smaller amount and it actually satisfies his cravings quicker. So he would be with you on that. Elizabeth McKay: I thought I was going to be unpopular. Kelly Molson: Well, you might be. This is just me. You might be. I'm with you on it. But listeners, let us know, are we going dark chocolate or milk chocolate? Elizabeth McKay: My kids are not happy with this decision, but there we are. I buy the chocolates. So they just have to get on board with that. Kelly Molson: They have to lump it then. That's the rules of the house. Elizabeth McKay: Grandparents indulge. Kelly Molson: Excellent, excellent unpopular opinion, let us know, listeners, if you are with us or with Elizabeth or against Elizabeth. Tell us a little bit about your role at the London Transport Museum. Elizabeth McKay: Okay, well, I'm the chief operating officer at the London Transport Museum. That's two acronyms COO and LTM together. I think the COO is kind of do everything and anything role. So for me, that's strategy, forward planning, capital projects, innovation, DNI, green agenda safeguarding, and basically all the internal stuff. And so I get to poke my nose into everything, anything that needs kind of help, support or advocacy, really. And I'm also the Deputy Chair of Kids in Museums, so I get to be on the other side of the kind of governance table in that role. Kelly Molson: It's a big remit, what you have on your play, isn't it? I hadn't really considered how many different hats that you would have to wear on a daily basis. Elizabeth McKay: I think it's different at different organisations. So I was really fortunate it was a new role when I came into LTM. So you get to shape a role if you're not just picking up what something has been done before. So that's useful. So I could just add in all the stuff that I really wanted to do. Kelly Molson: I love it. That's a dream role, right? I would like this and all of these things, please. Elizabeth McKay: Yes, exactly. Kelly Molson: So we had a little chat prior to talking today and this is really the driver for what our conversation is going to be about today. But you said that culture was the driver for why you joined the organisation. So I really want to talk about kind of culture and innovation today. What was it about the culture at LTM that really appealed to you? What made it really stand out? Elizabeth McKay: Well, I read somewhere that 75% of people consider a company's culture before applying for a job. That was really interesting and, you know, generally, organisation cultures, you know, values, beliefs, and attitudes and all the things that influence how people behave, really. So it's authentic. It's how an organisation responds in a crisis, how teams adapt, how people interact. And it's also one of those things that's a real top indicator of employee satisfaction. So it's a real top reason people stick around and stay in the job. So it's super important. So what attracted me to LTM and this was four and a half years ago was this kind of can do attitude. I really liked the entrepreneurial spirit. Elizabeth McKay: People were really nice and struck me as genuinely collaborative, and there was a real openness I was struck by this, by the people I met, by the kind of process I met when I first met Sam, the director, like, genuine good people vibes. And I didn't feel there were any barriers or that people were precious. So all of that really kind of struck me. Kelly Molson: It's interesting that you mentioned entrepreneurial, because that's not often a word that is associated with museums or culture or heritage. Not in the sense of not in the sense of sometimes how they view things. Elizabeth McKay: Yeah, I think it's really interesting, and it's part of what attracted me to LTM, and it's part of what drives us all. It's absolutely great. And one of the first things I did when I joined is ran a series of workshops to kind of codify, you know, our culture, because all of these stuff was just brilliant, but it felt like it needed to be pulled together, so and I'm kind of a self confessed strategy geek. So we got everybody together and ran serious workshops. And entrepreneurial was so key to how people thought about what the museum did and their own roles. So was the word playful, which is something that the people had used a lot and, you know, was in various documents and things. So those two things together were really important. Elizabeth McKay: And then other words like collaborative, active, courageous, and inclusive came out as partly it's how people describe themselves, and partly it's kind of aspirational. Right. So all of that. I worked with everyone and kind of came up with a strategic framework that we use. As I said, it's kind of codifying all of this. Kelly Molson: Yeah. One of the things he mentioned is that the culture there is kind of forgiving and encouraging. How did you define that? As part of these kind of strategy workshops? Or was that already defined before you kind of arrived? Elizabeth McKay: Oh, that's interesting. Did I say that those are really good words. Kelly Molson: They are really good words.Elizabeth McKay: Those are really good words. And I think what that means is it's an environment where creativity is really encouraged. So our purpose, which we kind of defined in this process I mentioned, is igniting curiosity to shape the future. It's always there. It's an ether right, a culture. So what you're trying to do is always ensure you understand it and then develop it in different ways. So I think we have a culture that people really thrive on ideas and making things happen. I think now, thinking about it, I'd really underline courageous as an important word too. And also having just navigated through COVID, I'm really acutely aware of my colleagues, what they've been through, what so many people in the sector have been through, just keeping it all together and keeping the show on the road. Elizabeth McKay: So I think courageous is something, a word we use, and I think it's increasingly more important and valuable and accurate. Kelly Molson: Yeah, absolutely. You mentioned creative there, which is interesting because one of the things I want to delve into a little bit is about the innovation and the culture of innovation that you've created. So we had Pete Austin come on from Imperial War Museums quite a few episodes back now, and he talked about innovation in marketing. And one of the things that he really stressed is that a lot of people hang on the idea of innovation as always being something new or a new idea or a big idea. But actually, innovation can be about making what you already have better. And I think that's really important to hold that in your mindset, is that it's not just about the big and new and shiny. Kelly Molson: It is sometimes just about a small change that's really innovative in the organisation with something that you're already doing and just doing it in a better way. So I wanted to kind of understand, what does innovation mean to you from your perspective, from the organisation? Elizabeth McKay: Yeah, that's a good question. And one thing is so important that it's not about innovation for innovation's sake, always have to have a purpose and an outcome. That's why you're doing it. So it can't be gratuitous. So I think it's really difficult to define. And there's a whole industry around innovation, isn't there? Writers, businesses, agencies, people who help you define it or harness it or provide methods or just basically hand it back to you. Right, but I'd probably go back to defining it as a new idea. But it could be a concept or product or a method, as you say. It can be incremental, those little twists, but also it can be disruptive, it can be radical, but I think it has to lead to some kind of change or improvement. Elizabeth McKay: I think there's an element of agility and adaptability that's required to and going back to the idea of kind of courageousness, it needs to be an element of bravery. You got to take some risks because it's changing something. The safe thing is just keep doing what you're doing. The brave courageous thing is push the boat, try something new. Experiment, pilot, innovate. I'm real big believer in all of that. I was remembering this like, great quote. I don't know who it was. Some strategy guru said, "whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision". Kelly Molson: Yes, very true. I like that quote. Elizabeth McKay: Maybe somebody can tell us who've said that. Kelly Molson: Let us know, listeners. It's an excellent quote. We'd love to be able to attach it to somebody.. Elizabeth McKay: Find it. Kelly Molson: Yeah, it's true, isn't it? And I think that what you said about courageous, it can be a really small move as well because I guess there's an element of courageousness needed when you bring ideas to people, your team will be empowered by you to think about ways that they can be more innovative. But they do have to be courageous in coming to you with an idea that they might think is a bit out there or they might think won't be accepted that well, who knows? So it starts off a really small level, doesn't it? Or a small part.Elizabeth McKay: It does. And it goes back to the culture of the organisation too. So I think there are different ways to unpack this. Right? So going back to talking about articulating your principles, so entrepreneurial and playful, for example. There's a lot in this. So entrepreneurial is priding yourself to be financially sustainable. We earn 80% of our income, so we have a really diversified income stream. So it really helps in periods of uncertainty. Great shop, corporate membership in London, which was originally a tour business, now it's a whole multichannel experience, right? And then playful is a brand strong brand. It's a word we love. We fully embraced it in all levels. So you can see it in the marketing and the product, our tone of voice, programming, all those things. So that's a lot to play with. Elizabeth McKay: And then I really think that innovation can come from anywhere. So the challenge is you kind of say about how you bring those ideas forward. You need to have ways that people can meaningfully input, right? And you can do this in so many different ways. We can consultation, so you ask for input or co creation. So you're working together on something and you need some kind of systems, right? If you have a creative proposal format or a form or something, it needs to kind of go somewhere, it needs to be looked at, needs to be discussed, it needs to be responded to. All that stuff plays together, really. I think about this a lot, actually. Kelly Molson: I can too. Elizabeth McKay: Because my background is kind of creative person. I started in advertising, I moved to the BBC, I've led creative teams. I've always done that. So, yeah, I think you have to have both the strategy and the values and you have to have the kind of systems and processes. systems and processes.Kelly Molson: Yeah, that's really interesting. I didn't know this about your background, but I sensed that you might have had a creative background because the way that you've talked about how you would approach certain things is the way that I have been taught to approach certain things from my kind of graphic design background. So I did wonder if you'd been trained in a similar way. Elizabeth McKay: Yeah, exactly. And that's why I get really excited about this. That's why the most fun I have in my job is my meetings with my head of design and they always overrun and we always come up with all these great things and then we have to step back and apply all the principles and the financial sustainability and the models and everything. Kelly Molson: Actually, that leads me to a really good question. One of the questions I had was how does London Transport Museum approach innovation? How do you encourage ideas? And you've talked about workshops and co creation stuff. How do you overcome the challenge of choosing and managing those ideas? You can talk for endless hours with your design manager. I'm sure there's some incredible things that have come out of that. How do you refine those ideas and choose which ones you actually bring to market or bring to the organisation? Elizabeth McKay: Yeah, good question. Million dollar question. You've got to be agile, I think. Not all ideas also come up at convenient times to fit into planning processes. That said, I think you could build flexibility into your processes. It's really important that no is not your default answer, which is true in parenting as well as business. So what's an example of that? So this year and last year, we staggered our planning processes to allow for early ideas to come out that were unfunded. Don't worry, we just want to hear what they are. And it gave them time to be kind of shaped opportunities for the fundraising team to look at them, nurture, develop. So that's one, as I mentioned, love a good workshop with lots of post it notes. But yes, there are so many ways to generate and iterate and choose ideas. Elizabeth McKay: I think that the other thing is you really need to delegate down to the people who are the creative engines too. That's rich coming from me, because I like to get involved in all this stuff. Right. But I know when and where to step back. And so, good example. Our social media manager, super fabulous, basically pitched, starting a Tiktok channel, said, yeah, go and do it, and it's just taken off. Phenomenal. Kelly Molson: Great. Elizabeth McKay: So the downside is she's just been poached and she's going off to a dog. Watch the space. In the new year, we're going to have an opening. Retail, I mean, our retail is..Kelly Molson: Your shop is fabulous. Your shop is fabulous. There is a gift under the tree for my dad from your shop for this year. It is absolutely brilliant. Elizabeth McKay: Root master of PJs. Kelly Molson: No. Excellent Piccadilly Line socks because really good memory. So my dad is not a fan of the Underground, so we used to drive to Arnold Grove, get on the tube there, so we could come directly into Covent Garden on one tube. Just one tube. So the Piccadilly Line holds good memories for me. Elizabeth McKay: Holds good memories. Yeah. Well, the Moquet socks in a box is a good one too. But all of those products, they're just fabulous. And we have great brand icons to play with, granted. And it was really helpful of TfL to open the Elizabeth Line for a number of reasons. Whole new product line and obviously all made for me. So I think my husband's drawing the line at the Elizabeth Line Moquet sofa in the living room. Kelly Molson: I saw the chair in the shop and was like that. It's a bit of me, I'm not going to lie. It looks fabulous. Is your whole house kitted out in the London Transport Museum memorabilia? Elizabeth McKay: No, I think the divorce court would be calm. I don't have the room. I do have my mug. Small bits. Small bits that I channel. All that said, another team which is super creative is the Hidden London team. It's a little juggernaut and has its own internal experts, like Chris and City and we pivoted during lockdown, they launched a YouTube channel, it had its 100 episodes. We're now doing a tele series. And all the guides, they all are so kind of really inspired about finding new sites and new tours and new facts and new ways and ways to communicate with people. So you just need to enable that. And that's what I think our culture does. And hopefully the systems we put in place give people freedom and all the right motivations to kind of innovate. Kelly Molson: It's nice, isn't it? Because the way that you've talked about it, you've got these kind of like mini teams that work within the organisation, you've got merchandise in Hidden London under your social media. And then I guess they are inspired by the things that those other teams are doing as well. How Hidden London had to pivot during the Pandemic is hugely inspiring to the social media team or the shop team about how they promote their products and things. So then you get this kind of crossover of ideas and entrepreneurialism across the organisation. Elizabeth McKay: Yeah, it's a real synergy and it goes back to being clear about your purpose, I believe. And we talked a lot about how certain things are kind of in our DNA. Boards are really interested in that and trustees. So going back to that idea of you don't innovate for innovation's sake, it's all consistent and relevant. So the shop and the products are just as interesting and relevant and researched and authentic as, say, our learning programs. So our learning programs are doing quite a bit around our green agenda sustainability, sustainability of London and you see that mirrored in products that are ethically sourced and sustainable practices, et cetera. Elizabeth McKay: And of course we're all here about public transport which is the green way to travel and that's about the future of London and the exciting bit about what kind of city that we want to live in. So all of this is synergistic, isn't it? Past, present, future and that's what I think makes it so interesting. Kelly Molson: Yeah, it is super interesting and I think what I love about the organisation is how many different remits it actually has that you don't think about. You come along and it is a fantastic museum to walk around. It's really engaging. It is very playful. See, everyone always highlights the buffs and the things that they can do but you forget about the other remit of actually you are highlighting transport which is sustainable and green and you've got a requirement to be showcasing that and explaining that to people about what that means for London. Elizabeth McKay: Absolutely. We're an educational charity but we have all this great stuff behind us. One thing that's different about LTM from other museums is the corporate membership the sponsors that are linked to TfL's pipeline. So that gives us a whole other way to engage. We have spot leadership programs, kind of Chatham House Rules type thing where we're kind of a safe place for bringing together people to talk about the future of transport and London. Yet another thing people wouldn't necessarily know. That's why my job is so cool. Kelly Molson: Super cool, but tiring. Yeah and actually that touches on something else that we should talk about because you talked earlier about people having to pivot during the pandemic and well, you set yourselves as a purpose fuelled organisation through the Pandemic. That was one of the things that we talked about prior to this and one of the things you mentioned is that you're all still doing a lot more with a lot less than you had which obviously can cause burnout. How do you maintain that from a cultural perspective? How do you maintain a healthy culture without you're asking people to kind of give quite a lot and being really engaged with the organisation but we're all kind of running on a little bit of empty. How do you kind of maintain a healthy culture and make sure that people aren't getting to burnout stage? Elizabeth McKay: That's a really good question and I'm also reminded of that other quote, “culture eats strategy for breakfast, for lunch, dinner”. I feel like I'm pretty high energy going into kind of all the workshopping and thinking about our strategy. I do look around and pay my life myself. God, I drink so much coffee now. So it's a really good question. We're all dealing with it in the sector and all businesses, right? And next year is going to be h***. I mean, when I listen to this in 2023 I'll probably be like, oh my God, it's even worse than I thought. So first, again, I think about this a lot. So first you have to give permission to slow down, to slow the pace. Have realistic what one of our trustees calls heroic targets. Don't have heroic targets, have realistic targets. Elizabeth McKay: Then change your plan if there are external issues. For example, we have a real issue with slow recruitment right now. We have support from TfL HR. We have some back office support from TfL, also quite interesting. But it also means when they stop, we stop. And so that's been a real challenge. You cannot hire people quickly when you have an opening, that's an issue, and in a small team that will just grind you to a halt, right? So you have to recognise that. Second, I think we have really good ways of working. So we have a people plan. We have working groups, comprised people from across the organisation. We use our strategic principles like, we're here for everyone and we go the extra mile, but we also have deliverables with that. And we have annual survey. Elizabeth McKay: We try to stay on top of these kind of issues. So think about what you're measuring, I guess is another way to link to that. So we have an inclusion index and a well being index, and it gives us a little kind of sense of how things are going. Not that we wait around every year to find out what the score is because you're always getting that kind of feedback. Kelly Molson: So that index comes from kind of continual asking people how they are like mini surveys.Elizabeth McKay: Yeah, well that's the kind of annual survey. But we know that's important, so we're working on it in different ways. So it has lots of kind of action plans and activities around it. So we're really conscious of well being and kind of inclusion and the things that help with that culture. I think regular communication then is another thing. So my big insight is whatever you're doing with communication, there could be more, it could be different, it can better, and it could be even more regular than it is, I often think. But I know we shared that with people, but if they didn't get it, then you haven't kind of shared it right.Elizabeth McKay: So we have a weekly email, we have zoom sessions, we have in person online staff forums, departmental meetings, chats in the corridor now that we're back and we have corridors and then I guess the last one, I'd say really listen and adapt. So when people say, oh, that's the problem, really listen and change. And I would say the way we're going about our five year strategy right now has taken that into account so we can't make that deadline. I went, oh, okay, so I kind of redesigned what we're doing and gave more time, and it has to work or otherwise if we all fall over. There's not going to be a strategy. Kelly Molson: The communication thing is so important, isn't it? It's interesting because we run very different organisations, but that was the one piece of advice that were given by so I run an agency, I'm a member of a number of agency networks. During the pandemic, they were incredibly supportive to all of the agencies under their membership. And the biggest piece of advice they gave was just over communicate. Over communicate with your team, over communicate with your clients. Just let them know all the time what's happening, how things are. Because people just needed reassurance, and the only way that they could get reassurance was by talking about things openly and having that two way dialogue. So, yeah, I just can't stress enough how important that is. And a lot of organisations don't get that, right? Kelly Molson: They don't have enough time with their line managers or enough time with their colleagues to talk things through. Elizabeth McKay: That's so true. And I think we stepped it up during COVID really, because initially we just had to were online with Zooming and living from our bedrooms, et cetera. But we started doing a weekly well, three times a week, email out to all staff wherever they were, and then it became weekly, and then it improved to kind of this bulletin that is quite good. I know people read it. We basically send it to our trustees. The sense of everybody's in touch. But yeah, you cannot over communicate. Kelly Molson: I love that. What would be your advice for organisations that want to foster a culture of innovation more? Elizabeth McKay: Well, one level, it's probably simple behaviour theory. Encourage and celebrate creativity, right. Reward the thing you want to have, so that's something to think about. And then I think a more sophisticated approach is focusing on that triumvirate of culture, strategy and capabilities because they all have to work together. And then I go back to that little kind of MOT for a healthy culture, that permission to slow down, have a plan, think about what you're measuring, communicate, communicate and listen and then adapt. That would be my little thing I run through in my head. Kelly Molson: Excellent advice, Elizabeth. Thank you. Just thinking about what we said about creative background. Do you look for people with a kind of creative background when you're hiring? Do you think that's quite important for an organisation that is quite driven by innovation and driven by being quite entrepreneurial? Elizabeth McKay: Well, I do. I hand everyone a paper clip when they sit down and say, give me ten reasons, ten things you can do with this paper clip. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I think it's important.. we all get stuck in these kind of structured interviews and which capability am I assessing and this and that. And so my default is stick innovation in there because it needs to happen in every job and every role at every level. So it's never one department. It might go back to my early life as a young referred stepper in advertising, but I never believed in the creative department and then everybody else.  Elizabeth McKay: So I really liked moving on and becoming going on the other side and being the kind of, I guess, more the marketing director type role at the BBC, which is commissioning and developing and producing. And I always thrive being around creative people, and they can be in any job, really. Kelly Molson: Yeah. I love that. Yeah. Innovation comes from anywhere, any department, any person.Elizabeth McKay: Definitely. Definitely. And the places that get that right and I'm not saying we always get that right, or I have always done that brilliantly and everything I've done, but I think the places that get that right are the ones that really succeed and people are happy. They have a culture that you're enthusiastic about and excited about and you want to go that extra mile and all those things, words on the page that don't really mean anything unless it's been lived. Kelly Molson: That's a really good point, isn't it? Because I think when you work at an organisation, you take ownership of it, don't you? And if you're encouraged to be part of it, and you're encouraged to share your ideas, share your innovation, it becomes yours. You take a level of ownership of the organisation that you work in because you've been able to input into the ideas and you can see those things actually happen. Elizabeth McKay: Yes. And I was just thinking about how you might kind of slightly shift your culture if you need to do that and tweak that. I mean, it's a bigger change program, really. Everyone is part of that kind of shift. But I think it can go back to those stories that you tell and you celebrate. And also you can't define what stories people want to tell about your organisation. Right. They're just out there. But if you try to give some of that focus and pick the things that you're really proud of, or that our teams are proud of, and are examples or exemplars of that kind of creative and innovative culture, then it can start to be what you're known for. Elizabeth McKay: I mentioned the shop or the learning programs that are kind of blowing me away right now, or Hidden London just kind of firing on all cylinders. Those things get us talking internally and excited and then that works outside, too. Kelly Molson: Yeah, I love that. And as we end our podcast, you mentioned stories. I always ask my guests to share a book that they love with our listeners. What would be your book for us today? Elizabeth McKay: Well, can I have two? Kelly Molson: No, you can't have two, but it's Christmas when we're recording, so I will be kind and generous and let you have two. Elizabeth McKay: I know that you'd allow, thank you.Kelly Molson: Because I'm so weak, Because I'm so weak, Elizabeth.Elizabeth McKay: You're so generous. You're so lovely. One that I mentioned when we met was this book Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. And it's just so good that I think if people haven't heard of it, they should pick it up. I mean, he wrote The Tipping Point and Blink, and he's just an excellent writer. He talks about data in such an interesting way. But this book is all about big questions in history and psychology and has case studies about Fidel Castro and Sylvia Plath and Bernie Madoff and Campus Rape, and I guess it's a bit dark. Kelly Molson: Yeah. Elizabeth McKay: Why did Neville Chamberlain think he could trust Hitler? There's just so much in this book that's super interesting. Kelly Molson: Excellent book. Elizabeth McKay: My other one is I just bought this book from my son, fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I read it when I was a teenager and it had a huge influence on me. I think it was my first Dystopian novel. So I'm just reading it again and my son may not get it or it'll be so well. Kelly Molson: You've done the classic. Buy a gift for someone that you're keeping. Elizabeth McKay: Yes, and I realise they're both very dark. Did that say about me? Oh, no. I mean, I'm actually quite optimistic. Kelly Molson: Yeah. But, yeah, maybe you just need an outlet to channel the dark stuff and that you can do that by reading these books. And everything else is fun and light. Elizabeth McKay: Yeah, that's it. The dark side. I probe the dark side between the pages. Kelly Molson: Great books. All right, listeners, if you would like to be in with a chance of winning Elizabeth's two books, then head over to our Twitter account and retweet this episode announcement with the words, "I want Elizabeth books", and then you can share in her darkness. Elizabeth McKay: Oh, dear. Kelly Molson: Elizabeth, thank you so much. It's been a joy to speak to you today. Thank you. I know how incredibly busy you are, so I'm very grateful that you could come on and spare us some time just before Christmas. And I am looking forward to seeing what you accomplish in the new year. I definitely know you're going to hit that strategy and get that up and running, so no challenge there. Elizabeth McKay: Well, thank you so much, Kelly. This was fun. And I guess anyone who's thinking about coming on, I would say it was not as painful as what I thought it would be.Kelly Molson: Excellent recommendation you can write that on our Apple ipod recommendation list. That would be excellent. Not as painful as I expected quote. Thanks.Elizabeth McKay: Quote. Thumbs up. No. Thank you very much for having me. I really enjoyed it. Kelly Molson: Thanks for listening to Skip the Queue. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review. It really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned.Skip The Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. You can find show notes and transcriptions from this episode and more over on our website, rubbercheese.com/podcast..

American composer Michael Torke joins conductor Devin Patrick Hughes on One Symphony. Michael Torke's music has been hailed as "some of the most optimistic, joyful and thoroughly uplifting music to appear in recent years" by Gramophone, and the composer has been commissioned by such orchestras as The Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the San Francisco Symphony; and  by ballet and opera companies around the world including the Met and the English National Opera. He has been commissioned by Disney and Absolute Vodka, has written incidental music for The Old Globe Theater, and has been composer in residence with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Beginning his career with exclusive contracts with Boosey and Hawkes, and Decca Records, he now controls his own copyrights and masters through his publishing company, Adjustable Music, and record company, Ecstatic Records. Hailed as a "vitally inventive composer" by the Financial Times and "a master orchestrator whose shimmering timbral palette makes him the Ravel of his generation" by the New York Times, Michael Torke's recent work, SKY, written for violinist Tessa Lark, was a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize, and was nominated for a Grammy for best classical instrument solo.   Thank you for joining us for on One Symphony. Thanks to Michael Torke for sharing his music and insights, you can get more info at https://www.michaeltorke.com. Works of his heard today include Ecstatic Orange, Time, Bright Blue Music, Being, Sky, and Four Proverbs. Thank you to all amazing performers featured on today's show including: David Zinman & the Baltimore Symphony Michael Torke and the Michael Torke Orchestra American Modern Ensemble David Alan Miller, Tessa Lark, & the Albany Symphony Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs Catherine Bott and the Argo Band And thanks to Michael Torke, Ecstatic Records, Albany Records, Columbia Records, and Decca Music Group for making the show possible. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you'd like to support the show.  Thanks to Mary and Diane for making this episode possible! Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

A program at the English National Opera uses singing techniques to help long COVID patients breathe a little easier. We talk to Suzi Zumpe, creative director of the English National Opera's Breathe program; and participant Joanna Herman.

By Andrew McCaldon The extraordinary and explosive relationship between director Alfred Hitchcock and the film composer Bernard Herrmann. Recorded live at Alexandra Palace with the BBC Concert Orchestra playing Herrmann's scores from the partnership's iconic films - Vertigo, North by Northwest and Psycho. Bernard Herrmann ..... Tim McInnerny Alfred Hitchcock ..... Toby Jones Alma Hitchcock ..... Joanna Monro Lucy Anderson/Tippi ..... Tara Ward Lew Wasserman/Cary/Paul ..... Jonathan Forbes BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Ben Palmer Produced by Neil Varley and Tracey Neale Directed By Tracey Neale By the late 1950s Herrmann and Hitchcock – known to each other as ‘Benny' and ‘Hitch' – have formed the most famous composer-director partnership in film history, creating masterpieces of cinema together, including Vertigo, North by Northwest and Psycho. But with tensions growing between the two maverick artists and change afoot in the movie industry, Benny and Hitch's collaboration and friendship comes to a catastrophic end at a recording session for the film Torn Curtain. But who is really responsible for the break-up? From beyond the grave, Benny and Hitch set out to determine which man has blood on their hands? Recorded in front of an audience at Alexandra Palace and starring two stellar actors, Tim McInnerny and Toby Jones, this thrilling and witty drama, will feature performances of Bernard Herrmann's music by the brilliant BBC Concert Orchestra. Writer: Andrew McCaldon worked with the BBC as a key creative on Ten Pieces, for which he wrote a series of acclaimed films and BBC Proms concerts. He has also combined music and drama in numerous shows for the BBCCO, BBCSO and the BBC Singers. Other recent writing work includes: Wemba's Dream, a community music-drama event with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, for which Andrew acted as Creative Director (2021); Abracadopera!, an original TV opera-comedy-drama, created and written by Andrew for English National Opera and broadcast on Sky Arts and Sky Kids (June 2022); and Gnomus, a site-specific play for Puppets With Guts staged at Stonehenge (April 2022). Cast & Performers: Tim McInnerny has just finished filming One Day for Netflix and plays the lead role in the forthcoming film Killers Anonymous. He can be seen in Ten Percent, the UK version of Call My Agent and also appeared in Game of Thrones. Toby Jones can be seen in The English for the BBC. Other work includes Jon S. Baird's Tetris for Apple TV and Sam Mendes's film Empire of Light, due for release in January. He will also appear in the forthcoming Indiana Jones film. Joanna Monro has been a member of the BBC Radio Drama Company several times. Her TV credits include Doctors and Doctor Who. She was a presenter on That's Life and her theatre credits include Blood Brothers and Mamma Mia! Tara Ward has worked in film, television, stage and radio. Recent appearances were in the film Justice League and Sky TV's Riviera. She played Mrs March in Radio 4's Little Women. Tara has written a number of books on personal development. Jonathan Forbes played the lead role in the film Conspiracy of Silence. TV highlights include Hornblower, Foyle's War and Black Mirror. He played Sharon Hogan's brother in Catastrophe for Channel 4. He also starred in Radio 4's returning series Tracks. The BBC Concert Orchestra appears on Radio 2's Sunday Night Is Music Night as well as exploring music from classical to contemporary on Radio 3. Soundtracks include Blue Planet and Serengeti for BBC 1 and in February it worked with over 20 artists for Radio 2's Piano Room Month. It appears annually at the BBC Proms and at London's Southbank Centre. The Conductor, Ben Palmer is Chief Conductor of the Deutsche Philharmonie Merck in Darmstadt and Babylon Orchester Berlin and Artistic Director of Covent Garden Sinfonia. He is one of Europe's most sought-after specialists in conducting live to picture. Next year he conducts the German tour of Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. Production Team: Directed by Tracey Neale Produced by Neil Varley & Tracey Neale Production Co-Ordinators, Ben Hollands, Ayesha Labrom & Hannah O'Reilly Technical & Outside Broadcast Team: Chris Rouse, Alison Craig, Gilly Chauhan, Simon Nicklinson and Jon Wilson

Lucy Prebble, acclaimed playwright and Succession screenwriter, talks to Tom about the return of I Hate Suzie Too, her TV collaboration with Billie Piper about a B-list celebrity making a reality TV comeback, following an intimate phone hacking scandal. Immersive and interactive exhibitions, performances and ‘experiences' are everywhere, from the Frida Kahlo exhibition at the Reel Store in Coventry to a Peaky Blinders experience in London. Tom is joined by author Laurence Scott and art critic Rachel Campbell-Johnson to ask if we've reached peak immersion. After having its funding slashed and being told it must move out of London, where does the English National Opera go from here? Manchester has been mooted, although there are reports that the Arts Council may be about to grant the ENO a reprieve. The company's chief executive Stuart Murphy will give us an update, and we'll hear from Richard Mantle, chief executive of Leeds-based Opera North, which tours to cities including Greater Manchester. And Manchester-based opera singer Soraya Mafi, who has performed with ENO, explains what the move might mean to her. Image: Billie Piper as Suzie Pickles in I Hate Suzie Too Photographer: Tom Beard Copyright: Sky UK Ltd.

Paul Boross is joined by ENO chairman, executive, and founder of Premier Medical Group Dr. Harry Brunjes. Brunjes has built a career as a force to behold in boardrooms of companies, surgeries and the English National Opera. “There are many ways to lead. I personally find comedy and being light-hearted works best.” Hear Dr. Harry Brunjes discuss how lightness, laughter, and leadership go together like a symphony. Dr. Brunjes provides all of the tips, tricks, and stories you need to bring a sense of humour into any business or boardroom only on The Humourology Podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lara Feigel and Tom Shakespeare review Netflix's new adaptation of Lady Chatterley's Lover, starring Emma Corrin. The English National Opera stages an operatic reimagining of It's a Wonderful Life, the classic 1946 Christmas film, by the composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer. Jake joins Samira. The casting of Ukrainian actors who have arrived here escaping the conflict, with actors Kateryna Hryhorenko and Yurii Radionov, and casting directors Olga Lyubarova and Rachel Sheridan. And the death has been announced of Dr Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson. We hear an extract from his memorable interview on Front Row following what he thought was a terminal diagnosis. Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Sarah Johnson

[@ 6 min] George goes ‘Inside the Huddle' for a double header with two of the team behind “Gods of the Game”, the football opera that opened at Grange Park Opera in England. The discussion kicks off with company's founder and chief executive Wasfi Kani and concludes with cast member Milly Forrest… [@ 33 min] Friend of the Show Larry Brownlee takes a ‘Free Throw' on the comic-tragic role of Rameau's Platée, the star bel canto tenor's first French Baroque role… [@ 40 min] In the ‘Two Minute Drill'… With government funding for British opera houses in turmoil, English National Opera may put the company's home court advantage at risk…. Next week, we go ‘Inside the Huddle' with soprano Megan Gillis... Join us! SHOW NOTES Lawrence Brownlee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUfgrHrEs1g Good Call: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/11/06/1127221864/when-she-left-ukraine-an-opera-singer-made-room-for-a-most-precious-possession operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 @operaboxscore IG operaboxscore

Vocal Massage and Laryngeal Manual Therapist Kate Valentine is today's guest. Kate, who runs her own treatment space called Valentine Voice Care, discusses how to spot the signs your student may have vocal health issues and how to prevent vocal injury. KEY TAKEAWAYS Whilst enjoying a successful career as a principal artist on the international operatic stage , Kate sustained a vocal injury: a career-defining moment which sparked a fascination with vocal health, rehabilitation, and the long-term benefits of manual therapy for voice. Kate noticed that, among other things, she was having to take a long time to fully recover after a vocal performance. That is such an easy red flag we can identify as a singing teacher.  Kate's onboarding process involves asking a lot of questions so she gets to know people and their voices as well as she can. It's so important to make students aware of their own voice because then they can identify the problems.  As well as running her own ‘Valentine Voice Care' treatment spaces in Seaford and Glasgow, and managing a busy client list including English National Opera, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Scottish Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Voces8, and The Dunedin Consort, Kate also works with two multidisciplinary voice teams:  the Voice Care Centre (London) and Clyde Consulting Rooms (Glasgow). BEST MOMENTS‘I used to just throw myself in without any real knowledge of what I was doing' ‘We coexist with our voice in our body' ‘I was frustrated because I could see things getting away from me'  EPISODE RESOURCES BAST Training Guest Website: www.valentinevoicecare.com Social Media: Facebook: www.fb.me/valentinevoicecare Instagram: @valentinevoicecare Relevant Links & Mentions:  Voice Care Centre: https://voicecarecentre.co.uk/ Voice Care Centre - Vocal Massage Training: https://voicecarecentre.co.uk/vocal-massage-training/ Clyde Consulting Rooms: https://www.clydeconsultingrooms.com/ Singing Teachers Talk Podcast: Ep. 32 - The Bio-Psycho-Social Model with Stephen King: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4R13bvilWjwQnd9WOfTiVc?si=f5b789d3500e4cef Help Musicians UK: https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/ The Royal Society of Musicians: https://www.rsmgb.org/ Line Hilton (Burnout): (Instagram) @linehilton & (website) linehilton.com Contact Kate Valentine: kate@valentinevoicecare.com ABOUT THE GUEST Kate Valentine specialises in Vocal Health and Injury Prevention for singers, Vocal Massage and Laryngeal Manual Therapy. A passionate ambassador for vocal health, it is her mission to help remove the mystery and stigma surrounding vocal wellbeing and injury, and to provide a safe space for clients to support them with their careers. ABOUT THE PODCASTBAST Training is here to help singers gain the knowledge, skills and understanding required to be a great singing teacher. We can help you whether you are getting started or just have some knowledge gaps to fill through our courses and educational events.Website: basttraining.comGet updates to your inbox: Click here for updates from BAST TrainingLink to presenter's bios: basttraining.com/singing-teachers-talk-podcast-biosSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Arts Council England have announced the most dramatic shift in funding for decades, diverting investment from London towards other parts of the country. The Chair of Arts Council England, Sir Nicholas Serota, Stuart Murphy of English National Opera, which is set to relocate out of London, and arts journalist Sarah Crompton discuss the details. Director Tas Brooker discusses her new film When We Speak, a documentary about female whistleblowers, including Rose McGowan and Katherine Gun, whose evidence lifted the lid on abuse and corruption. To mark the start of the COP 27 climate conference in Egypt, Samira explores the art of the infographic and the appeal of data visualisation with Professor Ed Hawkins, creator of the viral Show Your Stripes temperature change graphic and information designer Stefanie Posavec. Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Ellie Bury Image: Show Your Stripes infographic representing the global average temperature for each year since 1850 to 2021 (data source: UK Met Office) Credit: Creator: Professor Ed Hawkins, National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Reading Licensor: University of Reading Licence: Creative Commons

Today the planned rail strikes have been cancelled at the 11th hour. Is this an indication that a deal may be soon reached to end the months of disruption?  Also on the podcast, after it was announced that Arts Council England would cut its funding, it looks like the English National Opera will be forced out of London. Is this 'levelling up'?  Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

As Grandson of George V, George Lascelles was a first cousin to Queen Elizabeth II and with his distinguished beard and Nero style jackets, he was the very image of aristocracy, moving in the highest of royal circles, yet it was in the Royal Circles of Britain's opera houses that he felt most at home. It was at English National Opera North (now Opera North) that Lesley Garrett first met George. With their shared love of all things musical, and both proudly from Yorkshire, they developed a friendship that was to last a lifetime. Having survived capture during the Second World War (deepening his knowledge of opera whilst interned as a prisoner of war), he dedicated much of his time to making opera accessible to all. He strove to deliver the best of opera for everyone, with a genuine passion and commitment that inspired all those he worked with. During his career he served as Director of The Royal Opera House, Chairman of the Board of The English National Opera, Managing Director of the ENO, Managing Director of English National Opera North (now Opera North) and outside of opera he served as a Governor of the BBC and President of the British Board of Film Classification. His other great passion was football. He served as President of Leeds United Football Club from 1961 until his death and was President of the Football Association from 1963 to 1972. As Lesley recalls, he believed that both music and sport were 'levelling', that in these worlds there were no kings or paupers. Throughout his life he supported both of these passions, opening doors for everyone, instilling values of accessibility that live on till this day. He died on 11th July 2011 aged 88. Lesley is joined by Professor Alexandra Wilson, a musicologist, author and cultural historian, specialising in Italian opera and British operatic culture from the 1920's to the present day. Presented by Matthew Parris Produced by Nicola Humphries for BBC Audio Bristol

Anne W. Smith, the Commonwealth Club's Arts Member-led Forum chair, will moderate a discussion relative to restorative performing arts ideas and values, lingering pandemic issues and new implications for artist and audiences.  Sean Fenton, the “new kid on the block”, is executive director for the arts community service organization Theatre Bay Area. He will spotlight new approaches and thinking ideologies of large and small companies, including why  passion is central to leveraging  pathways through equity, diversity and inclusion as theatre's strongest future. Phillippa Cole, senior director of artistic planning at San Francisco Symphony, will share the emerging impact of Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen's sparks of innovation underneath his galvanizing leadership model of collaborating artist partners. Is this how the symphony will—as Partner Julia Bullock so aptly wrote—“unpick the institutional tangle?" Why will Davies Hall's collaborative space message prevail? And Carma Zisman, executive director of ODC/Dance, which was founded 50 years ago by Artistic Director Brenda Way, will talk about how ODC committed to 52-week full-time contracts for their dancers. It's a very radical move in the contemporary dance world that grounds ODC's 50th anniversary the impact of EDI issues, and the professional dance world's positioning right now. Join us for an enlightening conversation. We must try! About the Speakers Phillippa Cole is the senior director of artistic planning at San Francisco Symphony. She was previously the associate director of artistic planning for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, producing at London's Almeida Theatre, casting administrator of the English National Opera, and agent with Askonas Holt artist management company focusing on conductors, singers, and stage directors, including Michael Tilson Thomas , Magdalena Kozena and Sir Simon Rattle. She served as the Center's Performance panel chair at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Sean Fenton has been active in the professional Bay Area theatre community for more than two decades. He has worked as an actor, musician, director and administrator. He as performed at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, San Francisco Playhouse, Crowded Fire Theater, 42nd Street Moon, and Ferocious Lotus Theatre Company, among others. Backstage, he's been a leader at Bay Area Children's Theatre and Kaiser Permanente Educational Theatre, and he has developed audience research services at Wolf Brown's Intrinsic Impact program. Before taking the helm at ODC/Dance five years ago, Carma Zisman served as director of institutional advancement at The Walt Disney Family Museum. Previously she was the vice president of development at the World Affairs Council of Northern California, and development director of the College of Liberal & Creative Arts at San Francisco State University. SPEAKERS Phillippa Cole Senior Director of Artistic Planning, San Francisco Symphony Sean Fenton Executive Director, Theatre Bay Area Carma Zisman Executive Director, ODC/Dance Dr. Anne W. Smith Co-chair, Commonwealth Club Arts Member-led Forum In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 21st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Synopsis On today's date in the year 2000, the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen gave the premiere of a new opera entitled “The Handmaid's Tale,” based on the dystopian novel by Canadian writer Margaret Atwood. The book and opera tell of a nightmarish future: following a nuclear disaster in the United States, infertility rates have soared, and a religious sect has staged a military coup, enslaving the few fertile women who remain as breeders, or “handmaids,” for the military and religious commanders of their sect. Says Atwood, "There is nothing new about the society I depicted in The Handmaid's Tale except the time and place. All of the things I have written about have been done before – more than once, in fact." Despite its grim subject matter, Danish composer Poul Ruders says he saw "huge operatic potential" when he first read the book back in 1992. The original production in Copenhagen was sung in Danish, but Ruders says he conceived the work in English. The opera was staged in that language first in London at the English National Opera, and subsequently, at the opera's American premiere, in St. Paul by The Minnesota Opera, to great critical acclaim. Music Played in Today's Program Poul Ruders (b. 1949) — The Handmaid's Tale (Royal Danish Orchestra; Michael Schonwandt, cond.) DaCapo 9.224165-66 On This Day Births 1844 - Russian composer Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (Gregorian date: Mar. 18); 1870 - Austrian operetta composer Oscar Straus, in Vienna; Deaths 1932 - American composer and bandleader John Philip Sousa, age 77, in Reading, Pa.; 1967 - Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály, age 84, in Budapest; Premieres 1791 - Beethoven: "Ritterballett" (Knightly Ballet), in Bonn; 1825 - Beethoven: String Quartet in Eb, Op. 127, in Vienna, the Schuppanzigh Quartet; This premiere was under-rehearsed and poorly performed (the Quartet had only received the music two weeks earlier), and Beethoven arranged for a second performance by a quartet led by violinist Joseph Boehm on March 26, which was better rehearsed and better received; 1831 - Bellini: opera "La Sonnambula" (The Sleepwalker), in Milan at the Teatro Carcano; 1853 - Verdi: opera "La Traviata" (The Lost One), in Venice at the Teatro La Fenice; 1896 - Arthur Foote: Suite in d, by the Boston Symphony, Emil Paur conducting; 1917 - Rachmaninoff: "Etudes-tableaux," Op. 39 (first complete performance of the set of nine), in Petrograd (St. Petersburg), by the composer (Julian date: Feb. 21); 1926 - Hindemith: "Concerto for Orchestra," by the Boston Symphony with Serge Koussevitzky conducting; 1927 - Prokofiev: Quintet for winds and strings, Op. 39, in Moscow; 1933 - Varèse: "Ionisation," in New York City, with Nicholas Slonimsky conducting; 1934 - Piston: "Concerto for Orchestra," in Cambridge, Mass.; 1947 - Miaskovsky: Symphony No. 25, at the Moscow Conservatory by the USSR State Symphony, Alexander Gauk conducting; 1984 - John Harbison: "Ulysses' Raft," by the New Haven Symphony, Murray Sidlin conducting; 2000 - Poul Ruders: opera "The Handmaid's Tale," in Copenhagen, by the Royal Danish Theater, Mark Schönwandt conducting; 2003 - John Harbison: "Requiem," by vocal soloists Christine Brewer, Margaret Lattimore, Paul Groves, and Jonathan Lemalu, with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and the Boston Symphony conducted by Bernard Haitink. Links and Resources On Poul Ruders More on "The Handmaid's Tale"