The songs of Marc Blitzstein do not exactly trip off the tip of memory, but the man was a close friend and collaborator of Leonard Bernstein and the chance to revisit his work is not to be missed. The symphony referred to above was written in London in 1944 and premiered by Bernstein in New York. Click here for free download in his song ‘Then’, wonderful;y sung by Mary Carewe on a forthcoming Orchid release, with Philip Mayers as pianist and arranger.

This should work, after previous fluffs. Enjoy – I did.

I’m getting fonder and fonder of Bernd Neumann. The German culture minister who gave the arts a 50 million Euro investment boost last  month has turned his guns on the main TV channel ARD, attacking it for replacing arts programmes with talk shows.

And he’s not just on about high culture. This guy likes to give his policy statements in jazz clubs. My kinda minister.

Peter Konwitschny, director in chief of Leipzig Opera, quit his job with one week’s notice on Christmas Eve. He will be out by January 1, 2012.

No reason has been given. Konwitschny, 66, called in sick early this month and Verdi’s Macbeth was staged without him. He has been in the post for three years.

Colleagues say they are surprised. General manager Ulf Schirmer stuttered out a few grim words of thanks. More here. I gues it’s one of those human chemistry things.

Peter Norris, one of the best-loved teachers at the Yehudi Menuhin School, has died after a degenerative illness, his pupils report. The Canadian son of New Zealand parents, Peter was a much-cherished coach in a school where pupils have decidedly mixed experiences.

This page  has some background on his life and work. If you have personal photographs and tributes, do post them below.