John Lankston, who has roles in the original productions of Pal Joey (1963), Funny Girl (1963) and Kean (1961), has died at 84.

He became a stalwart of New York City Opera.

Message from Trinity Laban, the south London conservatory:

Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance today announced its performance programme for Autumn 2018… Trinity Laban has pledged to ensure that in its major performances – including orchestral concerts, operas, large ensemble, jazz and choral concerts – at least half of the music in the 2018-19 season will be by women composers.

Within the autumn season, 25 of the 37 works being performed (68%) are by female composers.

Highlights include:

Trinity Laban String Ensemble performing Errollyn Wallen, Grazyna Bacewicz and Elgar (St Alfege Church, 25 October, 1pm)

An 80th birthday concert for Timothy Reynish, in which he conducts the Trinity Laban Symphonic Winds in works by Thea Musgrave, Elizabeth Maconchy, Judith Bingham and Emily Howard (Blackheath Halls, 1 November, 7.30pm)

Louise Farrenc’s Symphony No.3 and Grace Williams Symphony No.2 in Trinity Laban’s celebrated “Side by Side” series, featuring the Trinity Laban Symphony Orchestra alongside some of the UK’s leading orchestral musicians

Vocal ensemble Rubythroat performing Kaija Saariaho, Sofia Gubaidulina and Trinity Laban student Mikey Parsons (St Alfege Church, 8 November, 1pm)

The Trinity Laban Jazz Orchestra performing pieces by Mary Lou Williams, Maria Schneider, Marian McPartland and Nikki Iles at the London Jazz Festival (November, date and venue tbc)

Trinity Laban Chamber Choir performing Imogen Holst, Elizabeth Maconchy and Lili Boulanger at St Bartholomew the Great (22 November) and Chelmsford Cathedral (23 November)

Dominic Peckham conducting the Trinity Laban Chorus, Musical Theatre Show Choir and Old Royal Naval College Chapel Choir in extracts from Rebecca Dale’s Mater Requiem plus pieces by Eleanor Daley, Meredith Monk and Judith Weir, alongside Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and excerpts from West Side Story (29 November, Blackheath Halls)

A brand new production of Thea Musgrave’s 1979 opera A Christmas Carol, based on the classic Dickens story, presented by Trinity Laban Opera (Blackheath Halls, 14 and 15 December)

Harriet Harman, Chair of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance, said:

“Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance is strongly committed to diversity in all elements and it has a mission to constantly challenge the status quo. Venus Blazing is a great example of just how it can do this. It will encourage and inspire its students – many of whom will go on to shape the future of the performing arts – to engage with the historic issue of gender imbalance in music by women, and ensure that it does not continue into the next generation.

“Venus Blazing is a bold initiative to raise awareness of the disparity that has long existed in music and shine a light on music that has so frequently been overlooked. I am also greatly looking forward to hearing some of the musical treasures by women I might not otherwise have had the chance to hear in performance.”

The city Leipzig plans to knock down walls in Robert Schumann’s former home, now a museum, in order to expand exhibition space for his dearly beloved in her bicentennial year, 2019.

The authenticity of the building will be sacrificed on an altar of phoney equality. It’s a ridiculous plan.

Why not build Clara a new museum in her own right? After all, she has a birthplace in Leipzig and she outlived Rob by fully 40 years.

Sir Cliff Richard was awarded an initial £210,000 today for breach of privacy after the BBC hired helicopters to fly over his estate, in an attempt film his arrest on a baseless charge of child sex.

BBC News cannot afford to hire copters and had no business doing so, acting in collusion with South Yorkshire Police.

Clearly, some news executives overstepped the mark. They should have been fired the next morning and the BBC Director-General should have gone on his knees to Sir Cliff with a fulsome apology.

But no.

The BBC is never wrong.

So it forced the singer, 77, to go to court, where he won judgement with aggravated damages today.

The BBC has yet to admit it was wrong.

It is losing the public’s trust.