Over a hundred singers from Sussex and beyond took part in the Big Sing for Ukraine in Lewes Town Hall. Organised by the East Sussex Bach Choir, the music included Michael Tippett’s A Child of our Time and Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man. Celebrated local soloists joined in later as the choir gave an informal performance to family and friends.
Sussex is rich in literary heritage, having been home to some of the greats, like Henry James, Virginia Woolf, Rudyard Kipling and A.A.Milne. The pleasures of reading are extolled in Tom Serpell’s latest article, prompted by his grandson’s new love of books. He discusses the importance of libraries and independent bookshops where reading can be encouraged, as well as new online media platforms.
The Festival of Europe is coming to Brighton on Sunday 29 May, with an afternoon of debate, poetry and music. Local MP Caroline Lucas will chair a discussion about democracy under fire, and the event features live music by the Undead Musicians Club.
A rally and concert on the Sunday ahead of May 9, Europe Day, organised in London by Thank EU for the Music and the European Movement, offered the first opportunity for over two years to break out the flags and banners and join others in celebrating Europe and the 70 years of peace achieved since the founding of the Common Market.
James Cory-Wright revisits a cricketing mecca in a new book about Sussex’s County Ground; salutes a goal-scoring Lewes goalkeeper; and reflects on the fate of two Borises: Becker and Johnson.
The new exhibition Seafaring, at Hastings Contemporary, features a wide variety of works by mainly British artists from 1820 to the present day. Rick Dillon describes the stunning range of paintings, from 19th-century shipwrecks by Romantic artists such as Géricault to contemporary canvases by Cecily Brown and Maggi Hambling.
The tango may have originated in Argentina and Uruguay, but its roots came from European immigrants, especially the Slavic cultures of eastern Europe. Pez Pearson describes the multi-cultural traditions of this social dance and how it returned to its roots in Europe, including Ukraine, where people still dance in the lull between bombing.
The Festival of Europe, a celebration of European friendship, culture and collaboration, begins in May with an impressive programme of events.
Pete Jones, the Sussex DJ who’s been giving a platform to up-and-coming musicians for 14 years on Brighton’s Radio Reverb reveals why he never gets tired of nurturing & promoting new local talent…
To celebrate the first anniversary of Sussex Bylines’ inaugural issue, we asked some of our key contributors to write a short piece on the subject of “What Sussex Means to Me”. From memories of being a student at the newly built Sussex University in the sixties while living in shabby digs in Brighton, to the […]
When Joni Mitchell’s album Blue came out in June 1971, the author Vivienne Griffiths, herself then an aspiring folk singer, had not long returned to the UK from an exciting year of travels in the USA. “Even now,” she says, “I only have to hear the opening chords of the songs, with their haunting music and evocative lyrics, and it conjures up this memorable time in my life.”
The British seaside is enjoying a renaissance this year due to Covid overseas travel curbs. Back in the day, far fewer holidaymakers went abroad, instead flocking to the nearest bit of coastline for fun regardless of sun, as can be seen in a new exhibition at Hastings Contemporary Seaside Modern featuring work by a range of 20th century artists span-ning 50 years, from the 1920s to the 1970s.
In this week’s Bylines Network podcast, Chris Davis in Brighton and co-host Connor Lamb in Newcastle (North-East Bylines) have a lively and revealing discussion about what Pride means to them and share their personal experiences of growing up queer. They also interview the Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, who is only the second British MP to be open about living with HIV. Their conversation proves fascinating, covering everything from the history of Pride to its subsequent commercialisation, and the empty virtue signalling or “Pride-washing” that some corporations are now guilty of. And they don’t shy away from asking perhaps the most contentious question of them all: which Brighton Pride headliner was better – Kylie or Britney?
Sussex Bylenses is pleased to showcase the work of 12-year-old Ben Muir, a young photographer from Steyning. Photo editor David Holden writes: “Ben’s composition and eye for detail demonstrate a natural talent usually only achieved after some years of practice.”
Many activities that prolong exposure to heavy breathing have been given the go ahead for indoor activity, such as working out at the gym, laughing with mates down the pub or chatting over a meal at a local restaurant, not to mention thousands of fans gathering at a football stadium to watch a game, no doubt doing what fans will – hugging, celebrating, chanting and singing! So why has the Government banned all amateur choirs from rehearsing indoors?