THE SOUL OF PÒRTEGUESE FADO ON LANZAROTE By Norman Warwick Fado music, typically, seeks to reconcile the harsh realities of daily life with an unfailing optimism that things can be improved upon. The lyrics speak of permanent loss and far-reaching consequences and the music is often comprised of one or two 12-stringed guitars, one or […]
OF CRITICS AND CRITIQUES by Norman Warwick In a book that our friend Michael Higgins says ´brings laughter and tears´, he found much to enjoy. Being fictively based on fact the book contains much of the kind of historical information Michael loves and employs to inform his own writing. Furthermore, some dialogue and the delivery […]
ONE CHURCH, TWO POETS, TWO CHOIRS AND A SCORE OF SONGS By Norman Warwick Ian McMillan (born 21 January 1956) is an English poet, journalist, playwright, and broadcaster. He is known for his strong and distinctive Yorkshire accent and his incisive, friendly interview style on programmes such as BBC Radio 3‘s The Verb. He lives […]
THEATRE AT AN UNCERTAIN STAGE: By Norman Warwick Romina Thornton, a dance practitioner friend of ours, shared the following facebook post she had recently received ´If Boris told restaurants they could re-open, but not serve food, there would be uproar. If Boris told pubs they could re-open, but not serve drinks, there would be uproar. […]
IN MY TROUBLED DAYS: Barb Jungr By Norman Warwick ‘Thank you for your lovely email.´ Barb replied to all across the arts chief officer Steve Cooke, who had used his page in The Rochdale Observer and his aata blog to ask artists to tell people how they were remaining creative during the lockdown period. ´I […]
NEW SOUND AND VISION AT CINEMA by Norman Warwick I had been persuaded, sometime in the mid-sixties, by my academically and culturally more-advanced girl friend of the time that there was a one-night showing of a film that she said was acquiring a cult following due to the stir caused by the novel from which […]
OLD BOB A NEW DYLAN FOR THESE TIMES By Norman Warwick The Times They Are a-Changin’ was Dylan´s third studio album released by Columbia Records on January 13, 1964. It was his first album to feature only original compositions, made up mostly of stark, sparsely arranged ballads concerning issues such as racism, poverty, and social […]
BE BRAVE AND FOLLOW YOUR ART by Norman Warwick ´What a beautiful and inspiring idea,´ Silke Eberhard enthused, in response to an invitation to submit news for their fans to the print media and on line platform offered by Steve Cooke ´Yes, I would like to contribute something. After some weeks since the lockdown I […]
FROM LOCKDOWN TO CLOSED FOR REFURBISHMENT By Norman Warwick Graham Marshall, an occasional contributor to these pages, (see left) and Dr. Joe Dawson were pretty much the leading proclaimers in the Borough for classical music, each writing regularly in various outlets like church pamphlets, music society programmes or even The Rochdale Observer. Today´s post is […]
CATS, CANARIES, MUGWUMPS & DYLAN et al By Norman Warwick That title of The Lovin´ Spoonful hit, Nashville Cats, was a reference to the studio session musicians in Nashville who laid down guitar sounds with such precision across the country music recordings of the era. One line in the song claimed that ´there´s thirteen hundred […]
SIDETRACKS & DETOURS: 7 / 12 / 25 classical, jazz, folk, rock, americana; songwriters & invisible angels7th December 2025 - 7:00 am
SIDETRACKS & DETOURS Pass It On 2/11/2025 Jenny Bray, Nash and Asher, Opus 222nd November 2025 - 7:00 am
A LITTLE BUNDLE OF SUMMER. sidetracks & detours 3rd September 2025 featuring Jazz Artist, Jenny Bray. Broadcaster and writer, Steve Bewick, Expo Folk and Sound Roots3rd September 2025 - 7:00 am