Stan Graham's Leisure Guide for North and West Yorkshire
In the words of the song from South Pacific, there is nothing like a dame. If anyone needed proof then they should have been at Howard Assembly Room on 2nd October listening to Dame Sarah Connelly. She gave the most amazing performance of a variety of songs from Brahms to Weill. There was also the…
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It’s that time of year again when the Opera North Winter Season begins. The various environmental groups will be pleased to read that it has been renamed The Green Season as all of the productions conform to the Theatre Green Book standards which sets out new benchmarks for sustainability. What might upset them though is…
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After a fallow period of events, the old favourites have returned from their summer break and are coming thick and fast. The latest reappearance is Kirklees Concert Season from Opera North, but more specifically, the Lunchtime Concerts at Dewsbury Town Hall. I discovered these earlier this year, just in time for the end of the…
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I was so pleased to be back at Howard Assembly Room I even changed my plans for a weekend away at an old friend’s in Lincolnshire so that I could see this event on Friday and travel on Saturday morning. It was a win/win as I got to see four amazing acts and he and…
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After a break in proceedings during the summer, the amazing Howard Assembly Room, or, as I like to call it, home, is back with its usual mix of all kinds of music and special events. The season kicks off on Friday, 8th September with Resonance Showcase which will give an opportunity for performers supported through…
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Northern Ballet are providing us with a small, but beautifully formed, selection of performances between now and the end of the year. From 8th – 16th September they present Generations: Three Short Ballets, on their home ground in Leeds, at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre. This event breaks new ground in several senses as…
Read MoreBreaking News!!! Opera North is not just about opera, with sopranos shattering wine glasses when they hit a High C, although I have a conspiracy theory that the bars in opera houses put their booze in plastic containers just in case, they stage lots of other types of concerts as well. A lot of them…
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The back end of the year is a busy time for this iconic Leeds institution. There are no less than 53 visitors to its (steeply forward sloping) stage between now and the New Year. I must apologise to artists I don’t mention for only being able to pick what I consider to be highlights. You…
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Now that we are getting a spell of good weather it is obviously time to look forward to dark nights and cold days. I must say that I think autumn is my favourite time of year, when days are days and nights are nights, but most of all the theatres are in full swing with…
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What a surprise, well, two surprises really. I was sitting at home on Thursday, minding my own business, for once, when I received a mystery email from Sherin Sara Alex at South Asian Arts asking if I would like to join them for a concert at Seven Arts in Chapel Allerton the following evening. After…
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Tyke It To The Limit 