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While we were gone:

# Vernon 'Tod' Handley, the British conductor, passed away (read full obituary from The Guardian here). Tod did more for British music than any of his peer group, and was a musician of tremendous passion, integrity and imagination - but despite constant campaigning, he was never awarded a knighthood, unlike others who probably deserved it less. Hear him in recordings like this and this.

# The LPO's principal conductor Vladimir Jurowski announced his latest creation: his baby son, Yury (George), born on 10 September - many congratulations to him and his wife Patricia, and Yury's proud sister Martha.

# The Last Night of the Proms came and went, vibrato undamaged, but some commentators sound distinctly underwhelmed, Bryn or no Bryn. Meanwhile all the screams and tantrums about jingoism seem to have achieved some perspective for the first time as everyone assents that basically it's good clean fun - and even Safraz Manzoor in The Guardian doesn't accept that it's 'too white' (by the way, if you follow only one link from this post, make it that one).

# Meanwhile, Messiaen's St Francis of Assisi stole the Proms show utterly, receiving the best reviews of anything I've seen in ages. Unfortunately I was sunning myself in Provence (between thunderstorms and the Mistral) and missed it.

# London's first new concert hall since the Barbican 26 years ago is getting ready to open its doors. King's Place, situated in a snazzy new building beside the canal near King's Cross station, on 1 October with a bonanza of 100 concerts in 5 days. Long term, it's a superb new home for contemporary works, world music and the London Chamber Music Series on Sunday evenings (a cheery bye-bye to the Conway Hall, and thanks for all the streaming colds). Amongst others things. Read all about it here.

# An email arrived bearing a sneak preview of Philippe's Hungarian Dances CD, due for release on the Onyx label later in the autumn. It's even lovelier than I expected.

# Hungarian Dances itself was featured on Yours magazine's book club page. :-)

Back now, ready to pick up the pieces (where possible) and assess the way ahead in the strange new world of the credit crunch.

A bientot

I'm off. Back in a couple of weeks! Please have some fun with the blogroll in the meantime, and do please keep those votes and thoughts coming - they are very useful and much appreciated.

Why are the maestros ditching the white tie?

Here's my latest bit of fun from the Indy, in today's edition.

A few lines were cut, notably the one about the pianist who won't wear round-collared black jackets because where he comes from, it's the garb of choice of Russian criminals; and the way that Daniel Harding makes up for not actually looking like Simon Rattle by conducting with his mouth open. But I'm glad the truth about those ridiculous black shirts at the BBC Symphony Orchestra has had a chance to be aired.

Deck the halls with...

The first press release of the year trumpeting a Christmas album has just pinged into the in-box, and the Proms aren't even over yet. Please excuse me while I go and throw myself out of the window.

As a special prize for providing the most depressing moment of a summer that you thought couldn't get any worse, I will provide them with PUBLICITY. It could actually be rather a good disc.

"A LANDMARK RELEASE FROM COLLEGIUM RECORDS - THE FIRST ALL-NEW CHRISTMAS RECORDING IN 20 YEARS FROM JOHN RUTTER AND THE CAMBRIDGE SINGERS - 'A CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL'"

"Recorded in the elegant splendour of Cadogan Hall, London, this is the first all-new Christmas release from Rutter's celebrated Cambridge Singers for twenty years and is the first ever to feature the glorious sound of full symphony orchestra and organ. John Rutter directs the Cambridge Singers, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the award-winning Farnham Youth Choir alongside distinguished guest soloists Melanie Marshall, Clara Sanabras and Elin Manahan Thomas in this unforgettable festival of Christmas music."

"Release date: 27th October 2008 / Price Point: Full Price / Catalogue No: COLCD 133"

Votes, please!

If you have a look at the sidebar, you'll see a poll. I know what I want to write about - but what do you want to read about here, and how? Please vote for what you think is the best (or the least worst) of these ideas over the next two weeks and there will be some changes later in the month. Thanks!