John Shand Posts

October 26, 2014 / Features - Archive

An 11-year old American boy once became obsessed with the music of an Irish fiddler. Two decades later the pair formed a band that is re-shaping Irish music in ways that may echo through the ages. Imagine if Brian Eno or even Sigur Ros played traditional Irish music and you…

October 13, 2014 / Concert Reviews - Archive

Lennox Theatre, October 5  To hear a concert of Jacques Brel songs less than two days after witnessing Sondheim On Sondheim was to relish the differences between these two dazzling lyricists and resourceful composers who were born a year apart. Where Sondheim’s songs are all refinement, wit and wistfulness, Brel’s…

October 8, 2014 / Theatre Reviews - Archive

Reginald Theatre, October 3  What an idea James Lapine had. Stephen Sondheim’s collaborator conceived of a show in which arguably the cleverest song-writer and lyricist of the last 60 years would be filmed talking about writing this song or that show, about his childhood and his art. Between snatches of…