Begun during the pandemic as a project for The Rabbit Room (a group I’ve been involved with for almost a decade now) I rebooted the 5 & 1 series. It was simply the chance to share some of my passions in classical music because so few friends had ever given much time to exploring.

For many, it’s a remote and intimidating world, full of arcane conventions, elitist institutions, and incomprehensible noises! As such, it is an art form widely assumed to have lost its relevance. Far from it!. After all, film music would never sound as it does without the foundations laid even by relatively recent compositions. This will hopefully make things much more accessible.

The Format:

Each post follows a theme (some are seasonal or topical, others are more random). For each:

• I will offer 5 short pieces or extracts, each with a brief introduction or explanation.
• Then 1 substantial composition (which could last anything from ten minutes to an hour).

Hopefully, you’ll find at least one piece to connect with in each post. The music will be as varied as possible, drawn from the last six centuries or so, originating from or evoking many different cultures, as well as the genius of all kinds of musicians.

Happy exploring!