88: The First 9/11
On Tuesday September 11th 1973, the democratically-elected socialist government of Chile was overthrown in an army-led coup in the capital Santiago, with the support of Nixon and the CIA. The … Continue reading
87: Oppenheimer
First, listen to this 1½-minute track: When Christopher Nolan’s film Oppenheimer was released recently, it triggered a distant memory in Grand Union history – a feeling of familiarity, a sense … Continue reading
86: Unforgotten Voyages
The question of slavery, and particularly the culpability of those who profited from it for 500 years, has been very much in the news recently. To a great extent, this … Continue reading
85: Dancing in the Flames
NB: to access tracks, clips and illustrations in full, click here I visited Australia for the first time in 1990 and spent about six weeks there, exploring as much of the country … Continue reading
84: Twelfth Night
I’m writing this Post in South Australia on January 6th 2023 –Twelfth Night. I’ve always felt that Twelfth Night is the most significant of the special days that make up the … Continue reading
83: Breaking the Spell
I’m writing this Post about half-way through the Grand Union Orchestra’s 40th anniversary year – the Company hit the road for the first time with a music-theatre show Jelly Roll … Continue reading
82: Raise the Banner
2021 was a bumper year for anniversaries of events of lasting social and political significance in London’s East End. This 3-minute video introduces how the Grand Union Orchestra commemorated … Continue reading
81: The Covid19th Chord
There’s a great sentimental Victorian ballad called The Lost Chord, by Sir Arthur Sullivan of G & S Savoy Operas fame. Sadly these days, few people seem to have heard … Continue reading
80: Now we are 80!
Foreword: when I originally wrote this Post, I was reluctant to admit that I was just a few days short of my 8oth birthday, so I wrote this allusive, enigmatic, … Continue reading
79: Declaration of Independence
After the Second World War, Britain began to grant independence to its various colonies across the globe. In 1947, India was divided into separate nations; one of them, Pakistan, was … Continue reading
78: Let’s Create
“South Korean scientists have created an algorithm to determine whose work, out of 19 composers, was the most original.” (Arts Professional, January 14th 2021). This is one of the scariest … Continue reading
77: Artists Show the Way
This Post explores in more detail themes from the two previous Posts – (75) the value of improvisation, and (76) the limitations of cultural institutions. It is generally accepted … Continue reading
76: Staying Ahead of the Game
This is essentially a sequel to my previous Post (75), on the virtues of improvisation. During the months since the original Lockdown, the Grand Union has fared reasonably well . … Continue reading
75: Improvisation
Improvisation – the ability to think on your feet, live by your wits, adapt quickly to changing circumstances – is one of life’s essential skills. Along with empathy, it is … Continue reading
A COMPOSER'S BLOG 