New Music – Stuart Bowditch: Constable Stereophonic Vol. 1 (Courier Sound)

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by Ben Hogwood, with text lifted from the press release

Another in the 24HR series featuring pure field recordings, Stuart presents some excerpts of recordings he has been making for Constable Ambisonic in 2025-26. The premise of this project is to make 20 one hour long ambisonic (360º) audio recordings of the locations of paintings by John Constable. Excerpts of the audio will be exhibited with the original paintings at Christchurch Mansions in Ipswich during ‘The Hay Wain: Walking Constable’s Landscape‘, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of his birth. 

20-minute excerpts can be found on the Stuart Bowditch Podcast, and on his Soundcloud page. Some full length recordings are available as a #slowwtv film on the project YouTube channel, where you can subscribe, follow or share.

Constable Ambisonic is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through an Arts Council Project Grant, with match funding from Colchester and Ipswich Museums, and support from National Trust, Flatford.

Stuart has been recording sound in urban and rural environments since 2005 with artist residencies in Canada, Austria, Portugal, Rochester, Felixstowe, Southend and Colchester. His work has been exhibited internationally in China, Iceland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark and nationally across Essex, Suffolk, London and further afield in the UK. The cassette is presented in a bespoke cover individually cut from recycled card stock by Nick Dawson (Eumig/Details), with text and artwork inserts, a Constable Ambisonic sticker and released in a limited edition of 20.

Published post no.2,850 – Tuesday 7 April 2026

Bach at Easter – Easter Oratorio

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by Ben Hogwood

This joyful piece of music was written by Bach in Leipzig, in April 1725. It has four vocal soloists, who take on the parts of Mary Magdalene (alto), the ‘other’ Mary (soprano) and the apostles Simon Peter (tenor) and John (bass).

The brightly scored orchestra consists of trumpets, timpani, wind and strings, and its celebratory air is perfect for the festival as it tells of the events of the first Easter day.

Published post no.2,849 – Monday 6 April 2026

Bach at Easter – Cello Suite no.6

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by Ben Hogwood

Happy Easter! And with it, some more music by Bach for solo cello.

The Cello Suite no.6 in D major, BWV1012, is often paralleled with Easter Sunday and the Resurrection, its Sarabande in particular finding a serenity and light appropriate for the season. You can watch Yo-Yo Ma in the whole suite below:

Published post no.2,848 – Sunday 4 April 2026

Bach at Easter – St. John Passion

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by Ben Hogwood

The second instalment of Bach at Easter is dedicated to one of the great master’s finest sacred pieces, the St. John Passion – telling the story in dramatic tones, as recorded by the Bach Collegium Japan when lockdown was imminent in 2020. You can listen below:

Published post no.2,847 – Saturday 4 April 2026

Bach at Easter – Cello Suite no.2

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by Ben Hogwood

Over this long Easter weekend, and with it recently being the anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach‘s birthday, it feels appropriate to share four favourite pieces with you.

The first is the Cello Suite no.2 in D minor, BWV1008. The deeply profound Prelude to this suite is often associated with Good Friday and the Crucifixion, and is followed by the traditional sequence of dances where Bach’s masterful writing can be fully appreciated. Having been fortunate to play this piece, I can confirm the music gives as much satisfaction to the performer as it does to the listener!

You can enjoy a performance from Yo-Yo Ma, live at the BBC Proms in 2015, below:

Published post no.2,846 – Friday 3 April 2026