Articles: Articles, Press, etc

Performers & Creatives working in the EU after January 1st

    Following a tweet thread that went wiral, Howard wrote an article for ByLine Times. To read please link here.  

The Musicians’ Passport

First, I should say that I fully understand and applaud the union of which I have been a proud member for over 40 years, the Musicians’ Union (www.musiciansunion.org.uk) , for doing its job by fighting for its members’ interests and livelihoods in attempting to ameliorate at least some of the many damaging aspects of Brexit

20,000 EU Flags

20,000 EU Flags at the Proms No-one should be surprised that music lovers want to express their solidarity with professional musicians over the issue of the damage Brexit will do to their livelihoods by shutting off the right to Freedom of Movement that has been so vital a part of our common European musical landscape

Flags at the Proms: a few thoughts

Last Night Blues Confession: I’ve never much liked the concept or the paraphernalia of the Last Night of the Proms, not because I’m a killjoy or have an antipathy to that strange bendy-knee jigging up and down the Prommers do, or clapping on the beat, but because it always seemed to me that the flag waving pantomime of it was

Howard Goodall on composing A Winter's Tale

I have wanted to adapt Shakespeare’s beautiful late play The Winter’s Tale for many years. There are several reasons for this. Whilst it’s not as overtly ‘magical’ as The Tempest (which Shakespeare wrote at roughly the same time) it has its own very special brand of magic in it, especially the final scene, in which like Mozart’s inspirational opera Don Giovanni, a statue apparently comes to life, transforming all who witness the miracle.

Howard Goodall on Beethoven

With the 250th anniversary approaching here is an article Howard wrote for Classic fm in August 2012 on Beethoven

He has towered over classical music’s landscape for 200 years. His influence, his genius, his challenge hung heavily on the shoulders of all who followed him. When, in 1956, the great guitarist and lyricist Chuck Berry heralded the dawn of the rock ’n’ roll age with a declaration of intent to start music afresh, the shorthand he employed was instantly recognised the world over: “Roll over, Beethoven!”

Singing is for everyone, not just the privileged few

The role of choral music has taken on new significance in the light of recent tragedies in the UK and, for composer, Howard Goodall, it’s one more reason why access to music-making is essential for everyone, not just those who can afford to pay. Karen Stretch catches up with him at his Burgundy bolt-hole. In

Brexit and music: Theme and Variations

A few weeks ago I had an encounter with a man at a currency exchange desk at Heathrow airport and tweeted the conversation thus: “Nice bloke at Heathrow currency exchange desk asks whether Brexit will be good for my industry. When I said no, disastrous, he said he asks everyone the same question: and Every.

20th Century Modernism: Some Thoughts

In my recently-released book and TV series, The Story of Music, I made some comments about the avant-garde in classical music in the 20th century which have sparked debate and – in some quarters – some confusion and misrepresentation of my observations which it might be good to address, briefly. I am not a missionary,

The end of music in schools as we know it?

There is nothing wrong in wanting to improve standards in schools, especially of ‘core’ skills such as reading, writing, basic arithmetic, and so on. It is the prerogative of any Secretary of State to do what he or she can to better equip young people for the highly competitive global market in which they are hoping to make their livings, and through them, UK PLC. If the Ebacc is a solution, and it works, then we should all applaud it. However, it may also spell the beginning of the end of music as an academic subject in all but a tiny handful of schools, intentionally or not.