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Boston Globe
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Love abounds at Boston Early Music Festival
'Early music' is a generous umbrella that covers a wide range of repertoire, but the festival acts tend to have a certain sense of artistic agency in common. There's no one alive who remembers how exactly this music was performed in its original setting. It predates recording so there's none of that, and documents can only get you so far. So what are you going to do with it? Every decision-maker in the early music world must answer that question for themselves, and the revered festival in Boston consistently draws artists who delight in finding those answers. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up As one example is the Tallis Scholars, a United Kingdom-based vocal ensemble directed by the seemingly tireless Peter Phillips since 1973. The group tends to hang onto its singers for the long haul. According to the festival's souvenir program book, which this year weighs 2 pounds, 5 ounces, alto Caroline Taylor logged her 2,000th performance with the group in Boston this past winter during their customary annual Christmastime visit. The Scholars go deep, not wide; unaccompanied sacred music from the Renaissance is their bread and butter, and their Sistine Chapel-inspired program on Wednesday fell comfortably into that niche. Advertisement Emmanuel Church was the perfect setting for that program, which weaved individual movements from five Palestrina masses with standalone pieces from the time period, including Gregorio Allegri's 'Miserere,' maybe one of the most mythologized pieces of music in human history. For that piece, one ensemble of five singers stood front and center in the apse with another crew of four placed in the side balcony, and one tenor on the lectern threaded the needle with the simple but crucial chants that connected the choral passages. Hearing it live in that setting and performed with such expertise was an experience akin to (theoretically) watching the 'Pietà' being sculpted, if the 'Pietà' had been made of ephemeral sand rather than sturdy marble. As an encore the group whipped out Purcell's 'Hear My Prayer, O Lord' and polished its dissonances to an eerie shine. Wednesday's program proved stronger than the Scholars' Monday evening show at Jordan Hall, which brought out the English Cornett and Sackbut ensemble for the first piece — a mighty performance of Lassus's 'Omnes de Saba,' with the united winds roaring along. All then exited so the stage setup could be reconfigured by a lone heroic stagehand, a process that seemed to take about as long as the piece itself had. Advertisement After that, no more brass and winds appeared until the final pieces of the second half. The evening had fine performances all around from both ensembles; did the directors worry people might leave at intermission if they didn't hear any sackbuts right away? More rehearsal and better planning might have helped. The 10:30 p.m. concert slot each night tends to feel like an intimate secret club, where one might find something they'd hear nowhere else. Lute songs are hardly rare repertoire, but interpreters as astute as tenor Aaron Sheehan (a BEMF regular who's also performing in the mainstage opera, Reinhard Keiser's 'Octavia') and festival co-artistic director Paul O'Dette? That was the treat offered to Monday's night owls, a haze of songs dedicated to women and wine with highlights including a rending 'In Darkness Let Me Dwell' and a handful of silken instrumentals. The pair hailed the boozier selections with a sip of red wine. Tuesday's late-night slot gave the Jordan Hall stage to O'Dette's longtime partner in BEMF leadership, Stephen Stubbs, and his West Coast-based Pacific MusicWorks. The program promised 'Murder, Mayhem, Melancholy and Madness,' and the balance of the program strongly tilted toward melancholy — my appetite was more for mayhem and madness than mournful dirges, especially after the previous night's lute-driven angst, but soprano Danielle Reutter-Harrah's sylvan take on Purcell's 'Bess of Bedlam' was worth keeping my eyes open for. Earlier that same evening Jordan Hall hosted the local premiere of Boston Camerata's 'A Gallery of Kings,' an eclectic program of the triumphs, trials, and tribulations of power in medieval Europe. It featured four male singers, director-soprano Anne Azéma, and two versatile instrumentalists — Shira Kammen on harp and vielle (medieval violin ancestor) and Dan Meyers with an arsenal of wind and percussion instruments. Advertisement The material was grouped loosely according to subject matter — here abusive kings, here courageous kings, here kings in love — and addressed rulers both historical and fictional. It was all handsomely performed, if somewhat all over the place in focus. Azéma and Kammen locked in on a brightly saucy Provencal troubadour song, and bass-baritone John Taylor Ward frankly stunned with King David's lamentation for Jonathan, inhabiting the music with genuinely wrenching grief that never approached schmaltz or camp as Kammen's vielle keened along. But the most memorable performance so far has been that by the Oslo-based Trio Mediaeval, which is approaching its 30th anniversary with 66 percent of its founding members (Anna Maria Friman and Andrea Fuglseth) still on board. Songs of praise by Hildegard von Bingen and polyphony by English composer Leonel Power braided seamlessly with the 14th-century Tournai Mass, the movements of which were likely written by different composers across several decades. Guest instrumentalist Kevin Devine improvised accompaniment on hurdy-gurdy and organetto, which can be most easily described as a harp-size pipe organ that balances on the player's knee. Friman also occasionally deployed a Hardanger fiddle — the national instrument of Norway, a violin that features additional unplayed strings for extra resonance. The instrument postdates the repertoire they were singing by a couple hundred years, but historical accuracy was not the goal; had that been so, they likely wouldn't have been singing the Tournai Mass at all, as it almost definitely would have been sung by men. If the Tallis Scholars brought to mind images of stone cathedrals, the Trio evoked a wooden stave church. There was a wild streak in their sound that should not be confused for lack of cohesion or discipline; rather, their individual voices were clear and distinctive even when singing as a unit, and out of those differences they alchemized unity. Advertisement The title of Wednesday's program, 'love abounds in everything,' might well be this group's philosophy. Hopefully they'll be back before too long. BOSTON EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL Through June 15. Various venues. A.Z. Madonna can be reached at
Entrepreneur
04-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Tackling Business Loneliness
You're reading Entrepreneur United Kingdom, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. With Loneliness Awareness Week (9–15 June) approaching, it presents a timely opportunity to address this growing issue. Below, five experts share practical ways businesses can tackle loneliness at work to build resilient, more connected teams and improve employee wellbeing and performance. Build a foundation of trust For Caroline Taylor, co-author of The Neglected Acts of Leadership and Managing Director of The Oxford Group, addressing workplace loneliness should start with building a strong foundation of trust. "When there is not enough trust to support open conversations, leaders are left to speculate about what others might be going through, often missing the real challenges they face at work," she says. Trust has the ideal conditions to develop in an environment where everyone feels comfortable speaking up with concerns, asking questions, sharing ideas, and offering alternative perspectives. Achieving this requires an organisational culture deeply rooted in psychological safety. "In the day-to-day reality of leadership, working on psychological safety is rarely straightforward, but it is key to fostering trust," she adds. Taylor points out that in a volatile, emotionally complex, and at times bewildering world of work, the case for building trust is both compelling and rewarding. "It doesn't just tackle loneliness. In our work with leaders, we routinely witness improvements in wellbeing and performance when trust is made a priority." Connect with the team For Archana Mohan, author of The Through Line, the antidote to workplace loneliness is connection. "Our ability to empathise and understand one another is declining," Mohan says. "People are longing for genuine connections and a sense of belonging, yet find themselves adrift in an ocean of superficial interactions." To counteract this, Mohan urges leaders to reach out to their teams. "Connection is a fundamental human need. It empowers us, motivates us, and allows us to flourish. If, as a leader, you care about those in your charge, you must connect with them. That is how you make your team members feel valued and visible in the workplace." Leaders who intentionally reach out to their employees do more than combat loneliness; they directly influence performance and business success. "To lead effectively, you need to lead with care. Because care creates connection. Connection fuels commitment. And commitment drives results. It's in those moments of real connection that collective brilliance is unlocked," she concludes. Challenge toxic cultures Sometimes the root cause of worrying levels of loneliness stems from broader cultural issues. When there is no commitment to inclusion and toxic workplace cultures are left unchallenged, people can quickly become isolated and withdrawn. Faye Allen, author of Building Women, encourages leaders to confront workplace toxicity. "If discriminatory language, bullying, harassment, and stereotyping are left unchecked, people will not see the workplace as a welcoming and safe space," Allen highlights. In traditionally predominantly male industries, like construction, many women often find themselves the only woman in the room, which can further intensify any loneliness experienced. But it's not just women, with many men facing isolation in the workplace too, especially where a culture of 'put up and shut up' is frequently seen. Reflected in the high prevalence of suicide in the UK construction industry, it is essential that toxic cultures are dismantled and all employees feel valued and part of the team. "Whether they work on site or remotely, full time or part time, building an inclusive culture helps to ensure people do not experience prolonged loneliness or lack of connection. When we prioritise inclusion, everyone benefits," Allen concludes. Provide access to support services Leaders often feel under pressure to know all the answers, but it's okay to be unsure of what to say to someone, notes Lesley Cooper, founder and CEO of consultancy WorkingWell. "The most important thing you can do for your team is to be present, listen, and signpost accessible support," she says. Providing a safe, non-judgemental space for employees to discuss loneliness, things that are troubling them, and ways to manage any negative feelings is crucial. "This could be with a trusted line manager or colleague, but objective support from professional therapists and counsellors should also be accessible to prevent loneliness from manifesting into more serious issues," she emphasises. Importantly, leaders who notice increased use of support services should take proactive steps to understand the root causes behind these feelings. "Doing so can help create a healthier work environment and reduce the likelihood of others needing similar support in the future," Cooper sums up. Invest in coaching skills According to Zana Goic Petricevic, founder of Bold Leadership Culture and author of Leading on the Edge, the leaders that are best equipped to help manage feelings of loneliness in their teams are those that are able to tap into what she calls their 'coaching consciousness'. "In a world dominated by technological advancement, where work never really stops, managers learning the coaching language may be our last line of defence against disconnecting and losing touch with our humanity. That's because the language of coaching fundamentally shapes how we show up, for both ourselves and others," she says. For Petricevic, coaching is a way of truly seeing and hearing one another. "To develop your 'coaching consciousness', listen with genuine curiosity, prioritise deep connections, and challenge the 'normal' that prevents these connections. Leaders may well need to role model their own vulnerability to create space for others to follow suit," she explains. "With a coaching consciousness at the heart of leadership skills, leaders can help people reconnect with their identity, work, and purpose," she says.
RNZ News
18-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Australia launches 'landmark' UN police peacekeeping course for Pacific region
UN Peaceekeeping training cohort at Pinkenba. Photo: Australian Federal Police Australia has launched the world's first UN Police Peacekeeping Training course tailored specifically for the Pacific region. The five-week program, hosted by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), is underway at the state-of-the-art Pacific Policing Development and Coordination Hub in Pinkenba, Brisbane. AFP said "a landmark step" was developed in partnership with the United Nations, and brings together 100 police officers for training. AFP Deputy Commissioner Lesa Gale said the program was the result of a long-standing, productive relationship between Australia and the United Nations. Gale said it was launched in response to growing regional ambitions to contribute more actively to international peacekeeping efforts. Participating nations are Samoa, Kiribati, Fiji, Timor-Leste, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, Tuvalu, Federated States of Micronesia, and Nauru. "This course supports your enduring contribution and commitment to UN missions in supporting global peace and security efforts," AFP Northern Command acting assistant commissioner Caroline Taylor said. Pacific Command commander Phillippa Connel said the AFP have been in peacekeeping for more than four decades "and it is wonderful to be asked to undertake what is a first for the United Nations."
RNZ News
18-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Australia launches 'landmark' UN police peacekeeping cour for Pacific region
UN Peaceekeeping training cohort at Pinkenba. Photo: Australian Federal Police Australia has launched the world's first UN Police Peacekeeping Training course tailored specifically for the Pacific region. The five-week program, hosted by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), is underway at the state-of-the-art Pacific Policing Development and Coordination Hub in Pinkenba, Brisbane. AFP said "a landmark step" was developed in partnership with the United Nations, and brings together 100 police officers for training. AFP Deputy Commissioner Lesa Gale said the program was the result of a long-standing, productive relationship between Australia and the United Nations. Gale said it was launched in response to growing regional ambitions to contribute more actively to international peacekeeping efforts. Participating nations are Samoa, Kiribati, Fiji, Timor-Leste, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, Tuvalu, Federated States of Micronesia, and Nauru. "This course supports your enduring contribution and commitment to UN missions in supporting global peace and security efforts," AFP Northern Command acting assistant commissioner Caroline Taylor said. Pacific Command commander Phillippa Connel said the AFP have been in peacekeeping for more than four decades "and it is wonderful to be asked to undertake what is a first for the United Nations."
BBC News
15-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
School meals 'help picky teens eat more healthily'
Having school dinners could help picky teenagers have a more varied and balanced diet, a new study University of Bristol-led research analysed data from 5,300 children at pre-school age and then again at 13 to build a picture of how picky eating behaviours change over findings, published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, suggest picky eaters at 13 were more likely than other children to avoid meat, fish and fruit in packed lunches but not in school dinners."Our results suggest that some picky eating behaviours persist while others may be modified in adolescents when they are away from direct familial influence," the study said. "It is likely that family norms have a stronger influence over packed lunch content than over school dinner choices where the child has more autonomy and may be influenced by their peers." Experts say that while most picky eaters are still getting enough to eat, having a balanced diet is important to living a healthy life and choices made at home or in education can have a big impact."Every child is different, and what works for some won't work for others," said Dr Caroline Taylor, lead researcher and associate professor in nutrition at the University of Bristol."We found that school dinners could be a good option to increase variety in the diets of picky teens, but there are plenty of other things parents can do to encourage a healthy diet."Whether that is enjoying family meals together, modelling a balanced diet yourself, or involving them in meal preparation, it all helps."It's important to encourage all children to eat enough nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables to help them grow and develop, whether that's at home or at school."
