A Lark Ascending

Middle one is a gorgeous new Barbara Hannigan release - Satie's 'Socrate' and other songs. Heard a track on the BBCs CD review programme a couple of weeks back and was instantly smitten.

Xuan’en, China: Tourists walk on a 500-metre (1,640ft) long plank road built over the river in Xuan’en county Photograph: Xinhua/Barcroft Images http://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2016/may/02/photo-highlights-of-the-day-a-baby-stork-and-protests-in-paris Eat your heart out, Boris.

Still leisurely working through 'Mahler' (about to hit the Vienna opera) and 'The Reformation' (Council of Trent about to kick off; I think I now understand Anabaptists!). Read this quickly over the weekend and very much enjoyed it: A sort of follow-up to his 'What a Carve Up' of some years back; where that was a black satire on Thatcherism, this one focuses on the current 'Age of Austerity'. Not so much a novel as a series on interconnecting short stories; a mix of social/political satire, Gothic novel and B-Movie horror (his technique probably owes more to cinema than lit-er-a-tuh). Continues Coe's regular theme of nostalgia for the Welfare State era which at least attempted to place state duty to care for the entire community as paramount, contrasted with the stark dog-eat-dog world of free-marketism (ironic as one of the book's themes is a warning about the dangers of nostalgia). Reading it in the immediate wake of the Panama Papers and antics of the greedy buggers* who raided the BHS pension scheme, it seems less fiction than news reporting. Might appeal to those who enjoyed John Lanchester's 'Capital' - though it's much more of a shaggy dog story. * Of course I really meant 'risk-taking wealth creators'.

Laura Cantrell (Sheffield Memorial Hall) Very nice concert of this one-time favourite of John Peel. Voice-guitar accompanied by electric bass and old-fashioned, twangy electric guitar (with a bit of dobro). My knowledge of the tributaries of country music is slight but this seems to hark back to a pre-Nashville sound era - lots of references to Kitty Wells and Merle Haggard (who might be contemporary with Nashville sound country but on a different path). Laura has a frail voice without a great range, often wobbly in pitch, but, like Neil Young, she is utterly distinct. Great songs - nice to see a voice I only know from record replicate the unfussy approach in a concert setting.

Yesterday morning: Just the Howells SQ off the first, the Gurney orchestral pieces off the second and all of the third. Whilst ambling here: Chosen Hill in Gloucestershire - a place much loved by Howells and Gurney before WWI. They'd be a bit shocked today - reservoirs on the top and the long views full of housing estates and light industry. Marvellous views of the Cotswolds, Malverns and distant Welsh mountains. Nearly 50 years ago I went to school for 6 months in the little village pictured - don't recall climbing the hill; certainly hadn't a clue who Howells or Gurney were. The Howells quartet is a gem; the Gurney orchestral pieces reconstructions - faintly folky but a bit Edwardian in feel - much prefer the songs with just piano. Part of an ongoing tour of sites associated with English cowpat composers. Today:

I'm awaiting the DVD to hire of series 7...a while yet, I imagine. It's been on here and on a replayer channel but the first episodes have gone past their sell-by date. I'm patient - not short of things to watch.

Thomas Stronen drumsAnders Jormin double bassTore Brunborg sax (@ Parabola Arts Centre, Cheltenham) Originally planned as a concert for the group Meadow with John Taylor, the other members decided to perform a memorial (empty piano on stage). Very ECM. Superb musicianship - but I found it hard to warm to. Skimpy themes that failed to stick; above all, wasn't at all keen on the tenor which seemed to slowly sculpt lines without any real personality. Music came alive when the drums and bass were on their own. Bass in particular superb. Would have been better, to my ears, as a duo concert. Mulatu Astatke vibraphone, wurlitzer and percussionJames Arben saxophone, bass clarinet, flute Byron Wallen trumpet (not tonight - not sure who played)Danny Keane celloAlexander Hawkins piano and keyboardJohn Edwards double bassRichard Olatunde Baker percussionTom Skinner drums (@ Jazz Stage at Cheltenham Jazz Festival) Thrilling concert. A band of Brits accompany an Ethiopian legend in music as exciting as any Afro-Cuban band. Included that tune that became a Radio 4 hit around the time of the Ethiopiques compilation. Superb soloing by all concerned - don't think I've ever heard John Edwards play tonal, groove based music before but when he came to solo he was as off the wall as ever. Crowd went wild.

Sorry, no idea. i'd recommend The Good Wife too. Just completed series 6 so have one more to go.

Tim Berne's Snakeoil (@ Parabola Arts Centre, Cheltenham) Tim Berne alto saxOscar Noriega woodwindsRyan Ferreira guitarMatt Mitchell pianoChes Smith drums Exciting concert. Hard to get my head round to start. Berne seems to write knotty, mathematical themes that then cycle - clear structures but I wasn't connecting. Then mid concert a wonderful passage of improvising for the two reeds got me and I was there until the end. Absolutely stunning Berne solo in the final piece. Alex Hawkins had Birmingham students dotted round the hall just before the start playing an lextended chord and subtly colouring it. Nice feel - like the opening to a grand piece. The Printmakers (venue as above) Nikki Iles pianoNorma Winstone vocalsMike Walker guitarMark Lockheart saxSteve Watts bassJames Maddren drums Supergroup in my world. Lived up to the high expectations generated by what was my favourite jazz record of last year. Norma's records tend to be quite pastel - all those qualities in this group but a real fire and tremendous use of instrumental colour. Helped by going nowhere near the usual standards - tunes by Ralph Towner, John Taylor, Joni Mitchell and group members, often with Norma's words. But lots of solo room too. Special mention for Mike Walker who was outstanding - Britain's best kept secret. Impressed by the venue - never been there before. Modern theatre with good acoustics and sight lines.

Loads of great performances but I particularly liked Craig Parkinson's 'Dot' Cotton. Utter confidence and fawning obedience in public, falling apart when out of sight.

Whitley Bay, England - The sun rises over St Mary’s Lighthouse Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA Expect to see Omar Sharif rowing in any second. http://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2016/apr/28/photo-highlights-of-the-day-monte-carlo-ballet-and-mdme-tussauds

No. 3 and no. 4 Disc 3 - The Organ Years.

Thrilling end to 'Line of Duty'. The first hour was electrifying - and it was largely people sat round desks asking and answering questions. The final chase scene got a bit Bruce Willis - Kate dangling from the lorry was over the top - but overall very exciting TV. And they announced that there would be another series in the future.

Just watched that this afternoon. Agree with you - lots of plot lines (apart from the main one) left unresolved. Strange really - TV programmes are usually guilty of stretching out to fill six episodes. This one was over-compressed. Enjoyed it though. Very moving ending to 'The A Word' on Tuesday. 'Line of Duty' ending due in a couple of hours. Issues of police corruption a little to close to reality at present.

Van the Man Disc 4: Sonata 27, 25, 29

Hofsgrund, Germany: A car passes snow-covered trees in the Black Forest - Photograph: Patrick Seeger/EPA It's been snowing lightly here over the last couple of days but nothing like this! http://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2016/apr/27/photo-highlights-of-the-day-operation-smile-and-wintry-weather

Michael Chapman (guitar vocals), B.J. Cole (pedal steel guitar), Sarah Smout (cello) at The Greystones, Sheffield He certainly has lived up to the title of his most successful early-70s album, 'Fully Qualified Survivor' (mid-70s now but still touring widely). One of that marvellous group of demon acoustic guitarists from Britain that lit up the 60s and early 70s. Most have sadly passed on - only Wizz Jones, as far as I can think, is still regularly active (expect to hear him again at Sidmouth this year). Excellent concert of peculiar songs (only one or two familiar), wonderful instrumental colour from his partners and, of course, utterly distinctive guitar playing. Quite a nostalgia trip - I didn't know his music in the 70s but the sound was part of that era in everything from (less rocky bits of) folk-rock to (the sensitive bits in) Led Zeppelin. Sarah Smout did a short set of songs accompanying herself on cello, Don't recall seeing that before. Must be a bugger to spend 15 years learning the cello only to discover you want to be Joni Mitchell.

Disc 3 of the Luddy - 9, 10, 24, 21 (Waldstein).

I went to see it yesterday in Sheffield to find the showing cancelled - technical problem. So I win the low audience figure competition. 0. Would have cost me £5.20 using my codger credentials. Will try again next week.

No 8. Another listen. Lots of Wagner in there. And then 7.

Bit of a lightbulb moment with Dvorak 8. I love 9 but despite many plays never really connected with 8. Whilst driving to the DIY store today I heard some familiar music which I had down as either Schumann or Mendelssohn. Got home to find it was Dvorak 8 - played it and it all came to life. Marvellous. Over the last three days. In a genre built on ludicrous plots this must be up for one of the top awards! Magnificent music, nonetheless. Despite having had this since 1989 I don't think I've ever read the notes before - fascinated to read how the Paris version (recorded here) was revised after Wagner was well into The Ring and had written Tristan. Having it pointed out you can really hear the echoes of Tristan in the Venusberg music; and the second half of Act III is reminiscent of Die Walkure.

Yes, you're right. The interesting thing will be to see if, once the chicness of vinyl passes, whether there will be enough demand to keep the vinyl presses rolling for those whose interest is primarily with the music (but who love vinyl as a format). One of the interesting things in the Gramophone article is interviews with people from the record companies who say that putting out limited edition vinyl sets actually isn't that costly - the big spending has already been done on producing the music for CD. But there's a tentativeness there over just how much to release. I remember the huge price differential between CD and LP. I bought my first player in 1985 (on HP!) but initially only bought classical on CD (most jazz/folk could survive the imperfections of vinyl; quiet bits on piano recordings for example drove me nuts). I had to limit myself to one CD and an LP each week (utter Byzantine debauchery to my friends and family!).

Bavaria, Germany - Tulips bend under the weight of snow after wintry weather in Garmisch-Partenkirchen - Photograph: Angelika Warmuth/EPA Tynemouth, England - Surfers leave the North Sea as storm clouds gather Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA No bow-ut comin' in (though one in the distance sailing by). http://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2016/apr/25/photo-highlights-of-the-day-anzac-day-and-obamas-new-glasses Last one reminds me of... The Monk by the Sea - Caspar David Friedrich (1810). He was keen on people looking out to sea (lots of Romantic religious symbolism).

Fun music written specifically for surfing the internet. Not exactly hardcore 'classical' but a project based round selections from Purcell, sung by singers from across the genres - Jim Moray and Olivia Chaney are from the heart of the folk world. 'Early Music' style orchestra, no clumsy rock arrangements. What is really interesting is hearing the folkies singing in their natural voices but essentially sticking to Purcell's writing without embellishment. This music is usually sung in High Toff so it's nice to hear it more plainly (James Bowman does the High Toff bits). The orchestra (who I suspect have players well used to Scottish folk music) are great on the dance tunes. To my ears, a much more enjoyable 'cross-over' than L’Arpeggiata's record of a few years back (I like L’Arpeggiata but could not get on with that one).