Latest news with #LondonSymphonyOrchestra
The South African
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The South African
Viral 'white sock challenge' hits South Africa's streets
The global white sock challenge trend, which has captured the curiosity of millions on TikTok, has officially landed in South Africa – and the results have sparked conversation about the cleanliness of Mzansi's cities. The challenge, made viral by international content creator Jimbo Hall, involves wearing a brand-new pair of white socks while walking through various cities – and then showing how dirty they become by the end of the day. It's a simple but striking way to visually measure just how clean (or dirty) public streets really are. Hall's sock tests from the ultra-clean streets of Tokyo, the glitzy walkways of Dubai, and London's underground have racked up hundreds of millions of views, revealing stark differences in urban hygiene. @jimbo.h I was actually surprised by this 😂 #london #challenge ♬ Blue Danube Waltz – London Symphony Orchestra Back home, Tim Morrel, a Stellenbosch-based content creator known for his social experiments and pranks , decided to bring the trend to South Africa – with a twist. You might remember Morrel as the guy who: Started a full-blown concert during a university lecture during a university lecture Filmed what a car guard would do if someone tried to steal his vehicle Now, he's turning his lens toward public hygiene. In his video, Morrel walked through central Stellenbosch and the taxi rank area in his white socks, camera in hand. While filming, he was nearly mugged, showing that doing such challenges in South Africa also comes with safety risks not often faced in other global cities. But beyond the drama, the footage showed just how grimy the socks became – caked with dirt, dust, and black smudges after just a few hours. Morrel didn't hold back in his commentary: 'We're either not using the cleaning budget properly, or there's just no accountability. It shouldn't be this bad.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by morrellpov🧃 (@timmorrel) While some may view the white sock challenge as just another quirky trend, its underlying message hits home – clean streets are a basic sign of public health, infrastructure efficiency, and civic pride. In Morrel's words: 'It's more than a sock test. It shows us how far we have to go to make our spaces livable and safe.' The reaction online has been split. Many South Africans praised Morrel for raising awareness in a light-hearted yet powerful way. Others were quick to point out the need for better waste management, regular street cleaning, and civic education about littering. One user commented: 'Maybe if we had more people showing this side of things, we'd start taking responsibility for our environments.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Guardian
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Salome review – a frankly astonishing concert performance
Antonio Pappano never conducted Salome while he was music director at Covent Garden, but he has now turned to Strauss's opera for the final concerts of his opening season with the London Symphony Orchestra, assembling, in the process, one of the finest casts you could ever hope to hear in the work, and presenting us with an interpretation at once decadent, beautiful, engulfing, and frankly little short of astonishing. Gabriel Fauré once dubbed the score a 'symphonic poem with voices added', which is not an entirely accurate description, given the power and psychological insight of Strauss's vocal writing, but does emphasise the centrality of the orchestra's role in carrying the dramatic and emotional intensity. With the LSO on tremendous form, Pappano lets the music unfurl in a single unbroken arc of gathering tension from the slithery, lubricious clarinet solo with which it opens to the savagery of the ending, and every flicker of detail and colour in Strauss's orchestration hits home. Strings sound palpably sensual, woodwind by turns exquisite and edgy, the brass associated with Jochanaan infinitely noble as it intrudes on the prevailing mood of feverish eroticism. The overall effect is of great beauty slowly turning monstrous, obscene, and rotten with decay. It's sung with remarkable and consistent lyricism, avoiding the expressionistic-sprechstimme approach we sometimes find, and all the more powerful for it. The concerts finally allow us to hear Asmik Grigorian in the title role, a career-making assumption when she first sang it in Salzburg in 2018, but which she has not performed in the UK until now. The mixture of metal and silk in her tone allows her to soar comfortably and rapturously above Strauss's orchestra both in her declarations of love to Michael Volle's Jochanaan and in voicing the torrential emotions of the final scene. Elsewhere, the darkness in her lower registers conveys nerve-ridden ennui, steely determination and imperious selfishness. She is utterly compelling throughout. Volle, meanwhile, superbly captures the fanaticism that lurks behind Jochanaan's principled dignity, is magnificent in his evocation of Christ preaching to his disciples on Lake Galilee, and ferocious as he heaps curses on Salome. Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke makes a suitably neurotic Herod: vapid, weak-willed, lethally dangerous, barely maintaining the veneer of elegance he tries to preserve before his dinner guests. His Herodias is Violeta Urmana, fierce in her scorn and well nigh brutal in her irony. John Findon sounds ardent, even heroic as Narraboth, his voice bigger than many we usually hear in the role, while Niamh O'Sullivan is eloquent and deeply touching as the Page. An outstanding, overpowering achievement, every second of it, and one of the greatest performances of Salome I've ever heard. At the Barbican, London, on 13 July
Evening Standard
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
Labour beats Reform to surprise victory in Scotland ...The Standard podcast
And in part two, Rachelle Abbott meets the founder of hip hop band Cypress Hill, B-Real, to discuss the band's new album with the London Symphony Orchestra, which was recorded at London's Royal Albert Hall and was inspired by an episode of The Simpsons.
Time of India
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Ilaiyaraaja announces grand symphony concert in Tamil Nadu with London orchestra
Ilaiyaraaja , the legendary composer, has enchanted audiences not just across India but worldwide with his extraordinary musical talent. Living up to the youthful spirit suggested by his name, he continues to compose music with the same energy and passion. In a historic milestone, he performed his first completed symphony with the London Symphony Orchestra in March, making him the first Indian composer to collaborate with this prestigious group. This year also marks the golden jubilee of his entry into the film industry, celebrating 50 remarkable years of musical brilliance. Over 8,500 songs and a legacy honored on his 83rd birthday Throughout his prolific career, Ilaiyaraaja has composed music for over 8,500 songs and scored background music for more than 1,500 films. Beyond his cinematic achievements, he serves as a member of the Rajya Sabha, contributing to public life through politics. Today, as he celebrates his 83rd birthday, he is being honored with heartfelt wishes from political leaders, film stars, and millions of fans who admire his timeless work. London Symphony orchestra to perform live in Tamil Nadu this August In a press interaction on the occasion of his birthday, Ilaiyaraaja expressed deep gratitude toward his fans, saying, 'I am humbled by the immense love and respect from millions of admirers. Words cannot fully express my thanks.' He also announced exciting news to mark his birthday: on August 2nd, he will bring the same London Symphony Orchestra that performed his symphony to Tamil Nadu for a live concert. This event aims to share the grandeur of his music locally while demonstrating the global reach and pride of Indian musical art. Ilaiyaraaja calls fans to cherish and share India's musical heritage Ilaiyaraaja emphasized that his goal goes beyond personal acclaim. 'It's not enough for me alone to gain recognition abroad. My people need to hear this music. I want to raise awareness about this kind of music and help elevate the appreciation of our cultural heritage,' he said. This heartfelt mission reflects his commitment to spreading the beauty of music to his homeland and the world. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
RNZ News
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Samoan opera star returns home for enduring classic La Bohème
This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions. 130 years on, Puccini's La Bohème remains an enduring classic and beloved opera. At the heart it's a simple story of four friends and their lovers; passionate artists and thinkers whose daily struggles compound and their hardships become tragedies. New Zealand-Samoan baritone Benson Wilson has returned home to appear on stage as Schaunard; one of the quartet of friends. Now based in London, Benson has been firmly establishing himself as a promising baritone in the opera world. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and won the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Award before relocating over there. In 2016, he's won the Lexus Song Quest and more recently - the Dame Malvina Major Foundation Mina Foley Award. He's performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and has studied and performed multiple languages including Russian and German. It's not his first time in this role; he made his professional debut at Festival Opera in 2016, playing Schaunard. He speaks to Culture 101 about returning home to play a familiar character with NZ Opera. La Bohème is at Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre until the 6th of June before performances in Wellington and Christchurch.
