Bicentenary of Queen Victoria – is this her voice?

Queen Victoria in 1882 by Alexander Bassano By Jonathan Summers, Curator of Classical Music Queen Victoria was born two hundred years ago on 24th May 1819. The most famous and, until recently, the most long reigning of British monarchs, Victoria represented a whole century of development and achievement where Britons…

One of the very first MEPs: Joyce Quin, Baroness Quin, remembers the early days of the European Parliament

Joyce Quin remembers her election as part of the first cohort of UK MEPs.

Recording of the week: Last of the Giants

This week’s selection comes from Jowan Collier, Acquisitions Support Officer. This week the last episode of Game of Thrones is broadcast to the world, in what is sure to be a bloody, spectacular, nail biting finale to the fantasy programme. To celebrate this, and not give away any crucial spoilers,…

Mother Carey’s Chickens

Cheryl Tipp, Curator of Wildlife & Environmental Sounds writes: In 19th century coastal folklore, the harsh and unforgiving nature of the sea was often personified by the cruel sea witch Mother Carey. Carey was said to wreak havoc on the ocean waves, conjuring up devastating storms that would destroy any…

Recording of the week: Gieseking and Bohm

This week’s selection comes from Jonathan Summers, Curator of Classical Music Recordings. The early recordings of German conductor Karl Bohm often have a sprightly character and when he accompanied pianist Walter Gieseking, the resulting Piano Concerto No. 4 by Beethoven is a revelation. The famous opening statement by the solo…