News & Blog

This week, University of Southampton Music Showcase Intern Anna Palethorpe shares her top ten websites to get you through lockdown. Read on and be inspired!     As the UK enters yet another week in lockdown, we are all trying desperately to think of new ways to amuse ourselves. Luckily for us, in addition to Turner Sims’ offerings that we are updating you on, concert venues all over the country are thinking of new and innovative ways to bring entertainment to music lovers. In this article, I am going to introduce you to some of my favourite websites that I hope cater to your musical needs, tastes and preferences!   The Best for… Families The Royal Albert Hall’s Royal Albert Home has compiled a diverse range of videos showcasing different artists and genres. It includes many introductory videos for children, including Opera for Kids- Amazing Arias and Jazz for Kids. It also caters to parents with multiple videos of well-known artists including Alfie Boe and Jack Garratt. Videos are released almost daily and cover a wide variety of topics, so that the whole family can immerse themselves and enjoy. Find out more about the events in the Royal Albert Home series   The Best for… Opera Lovers The Royal Opera House YouTube channel has plenty of exciting videos which are accessible from quarantine living rooms! From ballets and operas to masterclasses by the likes of Joyce DiDonato and Gwyneth Jones, the #OurHouseToYourHouse is a wonderful way of experiencing hours of world class opera from the comfort of your home. Find out more about events in the #OurHouseToYourHouse series   The Best for… those who want to Learn For those with an affinity to learn in lockdown, The National Concert Hall in Dublin has a fabulous Behind the Music series. There are numerous articles and fun facts on a wide range of tops, including 10 facts about Duke Ellington and Behind the Music with Meadhbh Campbell. This website is perfect for those who are interested in widening their general music knowledge. Discover articles in the Behind the Music series   The Best for… Choral Music Lovers St Martin-in-the-Fields are currently providing daily videos containing choral works that are hand-picked by members of St Martin’s Voices. This is perfect for those with a Choral ear wishing to expand their repertoire and understand more about the pieces. Each video is introduced by a different singer where they discuss their motives behind choosing the piece and provide insight into the composer with interesting facts about the work. Listen to more ChoralCasts from St Martin-in-the-Fields The Best for… Discovering New Talent The first port of call for showcasing emerging talent is Town Hall Birmingham’s live streams, who are using social media and Facebook to credit some of Birmingham’s most exciting upcoming musical talent. Footage from previous live streams can be found at this website and keep an eye on their Facebook page for new videos. Discover your new favourite artist with THSH Watch Parties   The Best for… Archived Content Wigmore Hall’s archive collection has a video library including everything from masterclasses with the likes of Nelly Miricioiu and multiple concerts from the world’s best musicians. They have graciously provided us hours of video content with exclusive up-close images that allow views on par with a front row seat in the concert hall! Watch an archived concert at Wigmore Hall   The Best… YouTube Channel The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic’s YouTube has hours of archival video of many past concerts as well as artist interviews. With over 180 informative videos and playlists, this YouTube channel is being constantly updated to delight and inform audiences around the world. Explore the video library at Royal Liverpool Philharmonic   The Best for… Children For those wondering how to keep the little ones entertained this week – Lakeside Arts Nottingham has provided a large selection of recommended articles, playlists, activities and videos for children of all ages. From drawing tutorials to interactive stories to making Roman theatre masks, there is something that every child can enjoy. This user-friendly website is perfect for young children to use alone and provides hours of entertainment and education. Entertain your little ones    The Best for… Radio Lovers Wales Millennium Centre has introduced us to a radio station that has over 350 shows at your fingertips that you can access anywhere, at any time. The station is broadcasted from the host’s bedroom and is frequently updated with exciting new content of all genres. Discover new radio shows   The Best for… Interesting Articles For those intellectually inclined, The Barbican’s website has a number of articles designed to challenge and broaden opinions. Spanning a multitude of topics, as well as playlists, videos and podcast recommendations. Notable topics and titles include LGBTQ+ Comedies, A ‘Masculinities’ Playlist and Finding Your Values. Read, Watch and Listen with The Barbican