Psappha, Phillips, Hallé St Peter’s, Manchester online review - Turnage world premiere

★★★★ PSAPPHA, PHILLIPS, HALLÉ ST PETER'S, MANCHESTER Turnage world premiere

New music specialists mark 30 years of enterprise and dedication

Manchester’s Psappha have been proudly flying the flag of new and radical music right through the year of lockdown, and last night’s livestream, with two-and-a-half world premieres, one of them by Mark-Anthony Turnage, showed they haven’t given up making waves.

Hough, Hallé, Elder, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester online review - brassy, bouncy optimism

★★★★★ HOUGH, HALLÉ, ELDER, MANCHESTER Brassy, bouncy optimism

World premiere of Huw Watkins’ Second Symphony in filmed performance

Sir Mark Elder is back with the Hallé for the latest (and penultimate) filmed concert in their “Winter Season” of 2020 and 2021, including the world premiere of Huw Watkins' Second Symphony. He introduces it from the Bridgewater Hall foyer, and mentions plans for a six-concert summer series with audiences present in the hall – well, let’s hope so.

Castalian Quartet, Stoller Hall, Manchester online review - mercurial playing fits a varied programme

★★★★ CASTALIAN QUARTET, STOLLER HALL Mercurial playing fits varied programme

Haydn and Adès rub shoulders in a recital of drama and excitement

The Polyphonic Concert Club is a collective of musicians – including Isata Kanneh-Mason and I Fagiolini – offering recorded chamber recitals released weekly through March and April. Like the festivals of Voces8 (I reviewed their Christmas series) they are aimed at a premium market: high-quality filmed content at a significant price, here £95 for the six concerts, not far off the cost of live tickets.

Album: Caoilfhionn Rose - Truly

★★★★ CAOILFHIONN ROSE - TRULY Mancunian musician's second is a comfort in strange times

Mancunian musician's second is a comfort in strange times

You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who hasn’t spent more time alone with their thoughts than they otherwise would have liked over the past 12 months. Manchester musician Caoilfhionn Rose has been confined a little longer: forced to take a year off from music after she became ill on tour in Denmark, her second album documents a physical, emotional and spiritual healing.

Lewis, Hallé, Thórarinsdóttir online review - serenity and spice

★★★LEWIS, HALLE, THORARINSDOTTIR Serenity and space in Manchester

More music as cinema from the orchestra’s Manchester centre

For the newest performance of their part-postponed “Winter Season” on film, the Hallé return to their rehearsal and performance centre in Ancoats, and with the help of piano soloist-director Paul Lewis and guest leader-director Eva Thórarinsdóttir offer a display of the capability of their orchestra members as chamber musicians.

Isata Kanneh-Mason, Hallé, Elder online review - triumphant film return

★★★★ ISATA KANNEH-MASON, HALLÉ, ELDER ONLINE Triumphant film return

Extraordinary value for money in a full concert plus cinematic extras

Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé are back in the Bridgewater Hall for the first programme in the second tranche of the orchestra’s digital Winter Season – filming that had to be postponed from its original planned date but is triumphantly achieved now. As before, the full orchestra is accommodated with a monster extension of the platform to allow for adequate distancing.

Gillam, Manchester Camerata, Kuusisto, Stoller Hall online review - calm and exhilaration

★★★★ GILLAM, MANCHESTER CAMERATA, KUUSISTO, STOLLER HALL ONLINE Time stands still and enthusiasm cheers the spirits in a concert for the present

Time stands still and enthusiasm cheers the spirits in a concert for the present

Manchester Camerata’s performance with Jess Gillam at Chetham’s School of Music was filmed in private on 9 January (and the sound was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on the 19th), but to see it in its full visual glory we had to wait until a one-off streaming on Friday.

Williams, Hallé, Elder online review - big results from small forces

★★★★ WILLIAMS, HALLE, ELDER Big results from small forces

Second Covid-style film performance offers a memorable sequence of ensembles

The second of the Hallé’s Winter Season concerts-on-film is scarcely less ground-breaking than the first. But this time we are in the orchestra’s second home, the former church now extended to be Hallé St Peter’s in the regenerated part of Manchester's city centre. The same skilful use of camera techniques to show a socially distanced ensemble, with Sir Mark Elder as conductor and, this time, Roderick Williams as vocal soloist, makes satisfying visuals to go with arresting sound.