Latest news with #ClassicFM
ABC News
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
ABC welcomes Philip Noyce as Head of ABC Classic and ABC Jazz
The ABC is delighted to announce that Philip Noyce will join the organisation as the new Head of ABC Classic and ABC Jazz. Philip is one of the most accomplished classical music executives in the industry, with over 15 years' experience across the classical and jazz sectors. He joins the ABC from Classic FM - the UK's most popular classical music station, where he served as Managing Editor and helped shape a service that reaches over 4.7 million listeners each week. Philip's career has also seen him serve as a judge for the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards and the Royal Television Society Awards. He is a talented cellist and the author of a series of acclaimed classical music guides for children. 'It's a fantastic moment to be joining the ABC,' Philip said. 'Especially as it invests in two of its iconic music networks: Classic and Jazz. The opportunity to lead these stations was irresistible, and it's a real honour to step into this role—shaping programming that's distinctive, engaging, and truly audience-focused. 'With ABC Classic set to mark its 50th anniversary next year, there's an incredible legacy to celebrate—and exciting new chapters still to be written. I'm thrilled to now be part of that journey. 'I'm also looking forward to forging new creative partnerships in Australia and championing everything that makes their classical and jazz scenes so vibrant. I can't wait to get started.' Philip joins a strengthened leadership team for the brands alongside recently appointed Content Director Sascha Kelly, whose career spans includes senior roles with Musica Viva. Sascha brings a deep knowledge of Australia's classical music scene and has already introduced a renewed focus on editorial craft across programming and presentation. Together, Philip and Sascha bring complementary strengths that will shape a new chapter for ABC Classic and ABC Jazz. With ABC Classic turning 50 in 2026, this is a unique opportunity to celebrate its legacy and deepen its relevance and impact for Australian audiences. ABC Director of Audio, Ben Latimer, said: 'Philip brings not only a deep understanding of the audience and the artform, but a strong creative energy that will help lead ABC Classic and ABC Jazz into their next chapter. 'With ABC Classic's 50th anniversary on the horizon, we have a rare opportunity to honour its legacy while setting a renewed creative agenda. I'm thrilled to welcome Philip to the ABC and alongside Sascha and our broader leadership team, I'm confident we're building the right foundation to take ABC Classic and Jazz into an exciting future.' Philip will join the ABC in the coming months and will be part of the ABC Audio leadership team, reporting to the Director Audio. Media Contact Laura Todd, ABC Communications
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Opera star Lesley Garrett: Surgery after my terrifying cancer diagnosis could have destroyed my voice - that would have been a kind of death in itself
When thousands of people gathered to hear British opera legend Lesley Garrett perform in Bristol for an open-air gala in July last year, few could have guessed just how significant an event it was for the star. Indeed, the Doncaster-born soprano, who has enjoyed a hugely successful 45-year singing career which has included serenading the Royal Family, performing in West End musicals and hosting her own show on Classic FM – as well as coming third on the first season of Strictly Come Dancing – likens the experience of performing that day to being 'reborn'. Having delighted the crowd with rousing anthems such as Rule, Britannia! and You'll Never Walk Alone, she recalls telling the audience at the Action Aid event that she was pleased to be back after spending three months recovering from surgery. But, as she acknowledges now, that may have been understating it just a little. For the truth is that Lesley, who turned 70 last month, had been diagnosed with a form of cancer so rare it affects just 380 people in the UK every year – and it could have robbed her of her celebrated voice altogether. Called a thymoma, it is a tumour on the thymus gland – a tiny organ that sits below the breastbone, just above the heart and between the lungs. Its position is perilously close to two important nerves that control movement in the diaphragm and the voice box, so removing the tumour meant there was a small risk of permanent damage that could have left her unable to sing. Not removing it, however, could have allowed the cancer to spread. After delighting the crowd with rousing anthems such as Rule, Britannia! and You'll Never Walk Alone, Garrett told the audience at the Action Aid event that she was pleased to be back following three months of recovery from surgery But thanks to the skill of her NHS surgeons, and the use of high-tech robotic surgery techniques, she was breaking into song – albeit only around her house – just days after the op. And she was back on stage, with the audience none the wiser, in just a few months. Speaking about her ordeal for the first time, Lesley says: 'Knowing there was a risk to my voice, that I could lose it and my career, was so terrifying – so unthinkable – that I had no choice but to lock my fears away. 'If I'd lost the ability to sing, it would have been the end of my life, really – I'd have lost an essential part of myself. Singing isn't just what I do, it's who I am. I'd have lost myself, and I can't imagine what I would have done. It would have been a kind of death. 'But thanks to my wonderful NHS team and the cleverness of the technology I have made a full recovery and there has been no lasting effect on my voice. 'I'm so relieved and grateful, and hope that by shining a light on a rare cancer we can raise awareness and understanding of it.' Lesley – who lives in north London and has two children with her husband Peter Christian, a retired GP – knows only too well the devastation cancer can cause. She lost both parents to different forms of the disease – her father died of leukaemia in December 2012, and her mother followed nine months later after being diagnosed with kidney cancer that had spread to her lungs. But it was when her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer during the early part of the pandemic that she became more 'vigilant' about checking herself for signs of disease. To her surprise, she found a breast lump in autumn 2021 and was referred to the breast clinic at London's Whittington Hospital. But although it was found to be nothing to worry about, a scan picked up the growth on her thymus gland, which is responsible for making infection-fighting immune-system cells. 'These are very rare tumours and most small cancer centres might only see one or two a year,' explains oncologist James Wilson. 'They can behave oddly and jump around the body if they spread or recur, so it's important to see a specialist so they know where to scan. Symptoms generally include a persistent cough, hoarseness or a heaviness in the chest. 'In general, most cases are, like Lesley's, picked up incidentally when people are being investigated for something else – and if removed early, there's an 80 to 90 per cent chance they'll never bother you again.' When Lesley was told the lump that had been discovered was a thymoma, it was originally thought to be benign and need no treatment. But she developed some 'unusual vocal symptoms' in early 2023 and she was referred to specialists at University College Hospital in central London. 'My voice just didn't seem to be behaving properly,' she recalls. 'I'd want to go for a high note and it wouldn't do it in the same way. Something wasn't quite right.' Like most singers, Lesley is supremely well attuned to any vocal issues, and particularly because she had already faced a potentially career-ending crisis 20 years ago when she burst a blood vessel in her larynx during a performance with the English National Opera. Her rehabilitation took months, and doctors only told her once it had healed that the episode could have stopped her singing for good, which she describes as 'genuinely terrifying'. But she had to face those fears again. While a scan appeared to suggest the thymoma had not grown, a multi-disciplinary team led by thoracic surgeon Davide Patrini recommended that she have surgery to remove the tumour and the gland itself. For many thymoma patients this can be a major operation which involves cutting open the sternum – the breastbone – to reach the thymus underneath. It can also be performed in some cases as a keyhole operation, which is less invasive and uses smaller incisions. But at some NHS hospitals, including University College Hospital, the op is increasingly being carried out with advanced surgical technology using a Da Vinci robot. The machines, of which there are around 200 across the NHS, use tiny surgical instruments and state-of-the-art cameras on robotic arms that are inserted into the body through incisions just under 1in wide. The surgeon sits behind a console that gives a clear view inside the patient on screens and allows control of the robotic arms. Mr Patrini said: 'The robotic approach has several proven benefits compared to traditional surgery, including reduced pain, faster recovery and improved surgical precision and dexterity. 'The blood loss is minimal and patients are discharged around 30 to 40 per cent faster, often within 24 to 48 hours.' For Lesley, this precision was particularly important. The thymus gland is close to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which sends signals to the larynx or voice box, and the phrenic nerves, which help to control the diaphragm. Studies suggest that up to 5 per cent of people having thymectomies – operations to remove the thymus – end up with permanent damage to these nerves, which can cause paralysis or weakness of the vocal cords. But robotic surgery makes this less likely, Mr Patrini says. Mr Wilson, who is overseeing Lesley's ongoing care, explains: 'Lots of patients in my clinic end up with a paralysed diaphragm on one side, but for Lesley to sing she needs both sides to be working properly, otherwise she would have lost a significant proportion of her singing capacity.' Lesley says the team were 'extremely careful' to explain any possible side-effects. 'I couldn't bring myself to face the possibility that I'd never sing again – the idea was so terrifying I couldn't let myself even go there. I had no choice but to put my faith in the doctors. 'I knew they were fantastically capable, but I did say to them, 'You will just steer clear of those nerves, won't you dears, because I do want to have a voice.' 'I made light of it, although the anaesthetist looked pretty shocked when he realised it was me they'd be operating on. 'But I trusted the team, and the robot was just the most incredible kit I've seen in my life. I felt really privileged to have that expertise at my disposal.' The surgery took place on March 1 last year – the day after Lesley finished a stint playing Berta in English National Opera's production of Rossini's The Barber Of Seville. The two-hour operation was carried out by Kunal Bhakhri, a specialist in robotic thoracic surgery at University College Hospital, and involved deflating her right lung to allow better access into the chest cavity. Three small incisions were made, and the instruments were inserted through the rib cage without damaging the ribs. One robotic arm cut around the tumour and the gland, while another placed it into a surgical bag before removing it from the body to avoid 'seeding' any cancer cells along the way. 'I was kept in overnight, but I was out the following morning,' says Lesley. 'I was back up and singing around the house in a couple of days. It was amazing.' Tests revealed the tumour had grown and breached the thin membrane around the thymus, making it a stage-two cancer. But the surgery had successfully removed all of it, which meant Lesley did not need to have any further radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Instead, she must have follow-up scans every six months, which will be reduced to once a year, for the next ten to 15 years to make sure it does not come back. These will also keep an eye on Lesley's enlarged aorta, which was also picked up when her thymoma was diagnosed. In the meantime, she'll be performing alongside Russell Watson at the Proms In The Park in Bedford on July 6. 'I can't wait to get up there and give it my all,' she says. 'I received, and continue to receive, such fantastic care from the team at University College Hospital, and if talking about it helps to make this apparently rather unusual cancer better understood, then it's my duty and privilege to do that.'
Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
‘Remember what it's like to fall in love – with a book, a song or a band'
Anita Rani's new podcast, Bright Ideas with Anita Rani, is all about uncovering different ways to live your best life, and this week's guest, Alexander Armstrong, is brimming with ideas. The host of Pointless, half of comedy duo Armstrong and Miller, musician and author shares his top tips for learning another language – he's currently using Duolingo to brush up on his French – why he's so passionate about children's reading and how to introduce someone when you can't remember their name. 'If you're lucky enough to fall in love with reading when you're seven or eight, you carry this great world full of colour and flavour around in your head,' he tells Rani as they discuss the Read It Forward initiative, which works to provide life-changing books and literacy education to children who need it most. Armstrong is also a fervent music-lover, having grown up as a chorister, and is using his show on Classic FM to spread the joy of classical music. He shares his advice for getting out of creative ruts: 'You've got to be on the balls of your feet. Remember what it's like falling in love – with a book or a piece of music or a band. All those times you did that, you were doing it because you were out there, ready to be receptive to new ideas.' Listen to the full episode – where the pair cover nicknames, why high altitude makes you cry and the importance of the right kind of tea – to get all of Alexander Armstrong's bright ideas for how every day can be a little happier. For more tips, life hacks, insights and stories, listen to Bright Ideas with Anita Rani on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes will be released weekly on Wednesdays.
Edinburgh Live
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Good Morning Britain's Charlotte Hawkins admits 'I get wound up' in rare home life insight
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Good Morning Britain's Charlotte Hawkins, who has just celebrated her landmark 50th birthday, has confessed that even she gets ruffled at times and has her own unique way to cool down. Speaking to Richard Eden from the Daily Mail during an exclusive preview of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Charlotte admitted: "I know I give the appearance of being cool, calm and collected, but I do sometimes get wound up." She finds solace in the tranquility of her garden, ripping into the weeds as an outlet for frustration, commenting: "It's therapy to me. I go outside and attack the weeds really aggressively." Charlotte, a beloved face on telly who also hosts her own Classic FM radio show and curates a podcast series, is turning her lifelong passion for storytelling into reality, revealing: "Ever since I was a child obsessively reading and creating my own stories," continuing with: "It's long been a dream to write my own book." (Image: undefined via Getty Images) As she hit the milestone age, Charlotte felt the urge to chase her childhood aspirations: "With 50 years on this earth fast approaching, it felt like the right time to try to make that childhood dream a reality." At a writing retreat led by author Rosie Nixon, Charlotte recounted her enriching experience: "It's allowed me to find the joy of being a writer with a really special group of people - big thanks to you all. Plus we squeezed in a cookery course as well as a walk down the most gorgeous avenue of lime trees!" (Image: ITV) She mentions that she aims to build upon the projects she began during Rosie's writing retreat and believes her 50th year might just be her "year of the book". After Charlotte commemorated the significant birthday on Instagram, fellow Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway chimed in: "You'd definitely write best-selling FICTION because no way are you 50??!!??? Can't wait to read the book and celebrate with you – happy birthday gorgeous! ! ! !". The challenge for Charlotte may lie in carving out time for writing. Beyond her role on Good Morning Britain, a constant since 2020, she maintains a dog training podcast titled Leaps and Hounds and hosts a Sunday evening show on Classic FM. (Image: undefined via Getty Images) Charlotte resides with her husband Mark and their daughter, Ella Rose, in the verdant surroundings of Surrey. Expressing her affection for the locale to Great British Life, Charlotte conveyed: "I love the fact it's so connected, with everything on your doorstep, and yet you're surrounded by leafiness and stunning scenery." She further praised the area's blend of cosy country pubs, fine dining experiences, and the immediate availability of peace and tranquillity when needed. Should that peace and tranquillity ever fall short, it seems the unsuspecting weeds in her garden bear the brunt of it.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
York vet soothes cats with classical music - but Bach is banned
A veterinary practice is soothing cats with classical music. Tower Vets, in Fulford Road in York, has been playing Classic FM to its feline inpatients. The practice said this is part of a series of improvements to make vet visits less stressful for cats. The music is played in the practice's new cattery, where cats await treatment or surgery. The practice has said that Bach is banned from the playlist. Tower Vets, part of York-based veterinary group VetPartners, has been awarded Cat-Friendly Clinic Status by the International Society of Feline Medicine in recognition of the thoughtful touches that have been made to the practice. Senior vet and clinical lead, Vicky Weston, said: "Playing classical music is really soothing to our cat patients and helps to create a calming and relaxed environment. "It's also soothing for our colleagues when they go into the cattery, and our patients pick up on team members being relaxed and it makes them feel comfortable. "The cats are happier in the practice and that makes us happier, too." The practice has also made other changes to help the cats feel more comfortable, including a separate cat-only waiting room away from the noise, sight, and smell of dogs. Calming pheromone sprays and diffusers have been placed in feline-only areas. Team members have undergone training on the best ways to handle cats, and the practice has appointed veterinary nurse Megan Brown and vet Hannah Reddel as cat advocates to oversee the improvements. Vicky, who is an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Medicine, said: "Even cats that have grown up in a household with a dog can feel frightened when strange dogs are around them. "The less contact cats have with dogs they don't know, the more comfortable they will be. "Anything we can do to lower their stress levels makes them easier to handle and they have a better experience in the practice. "Clients like the cat-only waiting area and feel their cats are much calmer. "The changes we've made have created a better client experience for those owners who feel stressed bringing their cats to vets. "It can put people off bringing their pets to the practice for important routine care if they know their cat will be upset. "If we can make it nicer for cats, people are more likely to bring their pet in." Tower Vets already has dog-friendly clinic status. Tower Veterinary Group has branches across York in Acomb, Fulford Road, and Haxby.
