Music

An artist’s duty, as far as I’m concerned, is to reflect the times. I think that is true of painters, sculptors, poets, musicians. How can you be an artist and not reflect the times? That to me is the definition of an artist.

Nina Simone

Tuesday, 17 October 2017 16:03

Singing for Peace and Socialism: Birmingham's Clarion Singers

Written by Graham Stevenson

in Music

Graham Stevenson reports on the recent concert. Birmingham's Clarion Singers, 77 years young this year, recently celebrated with an Autumn Concert with a full programme of songs at All Saints Centre, in Kings Heath, Birmingham. The 25-strong amateur choir – women dressed in red, men in black – led with…

Funeral March Scarecrow John Ball Pete Seeger Song of Peace Ode to Joy

Monday, 09 October 2017 09:56

Accessible, Educational, Radical: The Communist Composer Alan Bush

Written by Andy Croft

in Music

Andy Croft reviews a new book out about the communist composer Alan Bush. The composer Alan Bush (1900-95) is usually described as a man of unresolved contradictions, an Establishment figure who was also a dissident, the outsider who enjoyed the comfortable life of the insider. Bush was Professor of Harmony and…

Alan Bush People's Festival of Music

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Tuesday, 19 September 2017 05:52

A Manifesto for a Choir

in Music

Written by Boff Whalley

Boff Whalley from the Commoners Choir was interviewed recently in the Morning Star. Here, he describes the background to the choir's manifesto. ‘Surrealism asserts our complete nonconformism clearly enough so that there can be no question of translating it, at the trial of the real world, as evidence for the…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Tuesday, 22 August 2017 21:08

Coltrane's revolutionary musical journey

in Music

Written by Greg Godels

Greg Godels traces John Coltrane's revolutionary music against its 60s background of class conflict and Black liberation struggles. John Coltrane died fifty years ago this past July. In 1967, his death, like his music, passed largely unnoticed by most people. Today, his name is part of music lore in the…

John Coltrane Charlie Parker Dizzy Gillespie Miles Davis Thelonious Monk

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Monday, 17 July 2017 06:00

Grime helps launch a revolution in youth politics

in Music

Written by Monique Charles

Monique Charles examines the links between grime and progressive politics. It became clear on June 9 that Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May’s decision to call a snap election was ill judged. This election has highlighted the disregard for the “many” that government should serve, and after an election in which…

Grime jeremy corbyn

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Wednesday, 12 April 2017 09:10

Art as a weapon to defend the oppressed

in Music

Written by Tayo Aluko

Tayo Aluko gives us the background to his one man show about Paul Robeson. I remember singing Deep River in the Metropolitan Cathedral in Liverpool at a beautiful multi-faith service and concert many years ago. The word I would use for the occasion was simply, “beautiful.” We were celebrating Liverpool’s…

Paul Robeson TUC Black Members' Conference

Tuesday, 04 April 2017 20:44

Celebrating the politics of punk

Written by Mark Perryman

in Music

8th April is the 40th Anniversary of The Clash's debut album. Mark Perryman reminds us what the 1977 punk and politics mix was all about. The birth of punk for most is dated on or round 1976, with the November release that year of the Sex Pistols’ Anarchy in the UK. Music…

The Clash Joe Strummer White Riot

Tuesday, 21 February 2017 18:25

The struggle never ends

Written by Mike Quille

in Music

Like all artists, musicians enhance the quality of our lives, and expand the cultural commons which we need as much as the air we breathe. Chris Wood has developed into one of the most socially aware songwriters in Britain, and Mike Quille caught up with him during his latest British…

Chris Wood So much to defend trespasser jerusalem

Thursday, 20 October 2016 14:58

Stop consuming and do it yourself

Written by Robb Johnson

in Music

Via email interview, Robb Johnson introduces his new album and talks about politics, protest music, and plum pudding. Q. Can you tell us something about your new album, whether it's a change of style, direction, material or theme? ‘My Best Regards’ consists of 16 tracks, 13 songs recorded with Jenny…

Robb Johnson jeremy corbyn My Best Regards

Wednesday, 28 September 2016 14:19

Music and Marxism: Part Two

Written by Mark Abel

in Music

Mark Abel continues his analysis of how Marxists should appreciate and evaluate music. In the first part of this article, I argued that critique was at the heart of any application of Marxist theory, and that therefore a Marxist musicology must be a critical, rather than a disinterested (or complacent)…