Rush Hour Concerts

Symphony guide: Beethoven's Sixth ('Pastoral')

Beethoven's Pastoral is no musical cul-de-sac, writes Tom Service. It's a radical work, and in its final movement is music more purely spine-tingling and life-enhancingly joyful than almost anywhere else in his output

This week, Beethovens Pastoral Symphony, his Sixth. Well, it does what it says on the tin, doesnt it? A sentimental romp through the Viennese countryside, a programmatic sideline to the central sweep of Beethovens development, a gentle counterpart to the fire and brimstone of the Fifth Symphony and the bacchanal of the Seventh.

Judith Weir prepares to be a radical master of the Queen's music

For Weir, the first woman in the position, it means supporting composers and exploring the state of music education

Judith Weir must be the most modest master of the Queen's music in the job's 388-year history. "The palace asked a lot of people who it should be, and I said Jonathan Dove would be the best person," she said, after her appointment was confirmed on Monday. "But they took no notice of me and a few weeks ago they told me they had had the most suggestions that it ought to be me so well done."

But it's a mistake to read 60-year-old Weir's self-deprecation as a sign that she is not up for the public profile of the role. I first met her more than a decade ago, but have never known her to be more relaxed, forthcoming or fired-up. Weir, who is the first woman to hold the job, is clearly going to be in her element as she tackles this position.

Howlin' Fling festival review low-key folk in stunning setting

Isle of Eigg, Hebrides
This inaugural event showcased a wide range of music from Jens Lakeman to cellist Olly Coates' Messiaen but the island was the real star

Could there be a more magical setting for a music festival? The little Hebridean island of Eigg is a gem: tucked between Skye and Ardnamurchan, flanked by craggy Rùm and tiny Muck, topped by its iconic knobbly An Sgùrr. The ferry trip involves whale and dolphin spotting; and the campsite is a white sandy beach, perfect for morning swims among the seals. In recent decades, Eigg has become famous for its progressive collective land ownership (its residents bought the island in 1997), and that community spirit was evident everywhere at the festival from locals giving punters lifts on the back of pick-ups to headline acts taking voluntary shifts on the bar. It's a cliche, but the star of the show was the island itself.

Strictly speaking, this was Howlin' Fling's inaugural year, though the festival has provenance. Run by musician and Eigg resident Johnny Lynch, AKA the Pictish Trail, it's the successor to the Fence Records' Away Game, held before Fence imploded in 2013 and Lynch set up his own label, Lost Map. Mercifully, the weekend bore few vestiges of that acrimonious split, aside from the odd cheeky quip.

MH17 bodies leave Ukraine rebel area

A train carrying the remains of most of the victims of the MH17 plane crash arrives in the Ukrainian city of Kharkhiv, out of rebel-held territory.

Britain to urge new Russia sanctions

Britain is expected to push for tougher sanctions against Russia when EU foreign ministers meet in the wake of the Malaysia Airlines crash.

FGM parents to face prosecution

Parents will face prosecution if they fail to prevent their daughters undergoing female genital mutilation or forced marriage under new measures being announced.

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