Congratulations to the National Youth Jazz Orchestra celebrating fifty years

The leader article, “Ministers have come to the rescue. Artists must seize this chance” in the Guardian on the 2nd June (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/06/the-guardian-view-on-15bn-for-the-arts-the-shows-will-go-on) sounds reasonable till you analyse the Arts Council’s 10 year strategy “Lets Create”. “Let’s Create” reads as if written by people remote from the practical issues  which the arts face every day and…

I’m one of 1,000+ musicians who are jointly releasing this album to protest the UK government’s planned changes to copyright law, which would hand the life’s work of the country’s musicians to AI companies for free. It’s an album of recordings of empty studios, which is what we’ll get if the government’s plans go ahead….

Chris Hodgkins Newsletter – Current + New Projects 2024 SUMMONED BY BELLS – A new project for 2024 This project is based around Sir John Betjeman’s poem “Summoned By Bells” and involves a tour of churches with bell towers. The core of the programme revolves around a number of newly composed themes played by church…

I recently appeared in a podcast with Nicoleta Porojanu a  psychologist and therapist from London. It was an interesting interview where the topic of stress was discussed. Stress  is explored and what is causing stress in our modern world and the terrible impact it has on our mental activity, emotional life and physical body. Music…

Review of Arts Council England – Further Information – Extended Deadline You cannot make this stuff up. It has just been announced that the DCMS review into the Arts Council has just extended their deadline. If I didn’t know any better I would have thought this review was being run by the Arts Council. What…

Pete Allen Jazz Band gigs for October 2023 Pete’s 45th Anniversary Sunday 1st October 2023 at the Bacon Arms Hotel, Oxford Street, Newbury, RG14 1JB. Tickets £20 available from Jane on 0118 981 2598 or email Jane at: nana.macgregor@btinternet.com Large car park at the rear of the hotel. Licensed bar all day plus a range of…