Mark Forrest
Mark gets up very early in the morning Monday to Friday to play you his favourite music while drinking too much coffee. On Saturday he rises a little later to count down the nation's favourite classical music and on Sunday he lies in before getting up to feed his goats and chickens.
Articles by Mark Forrest
Tree of Life
Best ever Music at the Movies
By Mark ForrestForget original classical soundtracks. What’s been the best use of existing classical music in a movie?
Hepworth Wakefield
If you build it will they come?
By Mark ForrestCan art and culture make a difference to towns and cities seeking to regenerate and renew? I was asked to take part this week in a TV debate that posed this question as the West Yorkshire city of Wakefield threw open the doors of its brand new gallery Hepworth Wakefield. This £35 million venue designed
Maestro
Leader of the pack
By Mark ForrestI can understand why Prince Charles relished the opportunity to pick up the baton and conduct one of our orchestras when he was given the chance. Imagine the sense of power, of responsibility. With the merest movement, the tiniest of downbeats the mighty Philharmonia sits in the palm of your hand. HRH makes this confession in a soon to be aired TV documentary on the composer Hubert Parry but similar reasons had celebrities queueing up to take part in the TV show Maestro and most conductors raise a weary eyebrow when asked the question. It seems that inside most members of the orchestra (and public) sits an aspiring conductor just waiting for their chance.
Piles of paper
The HOF – the view from the studio
By Mark ForrestI normally try to work completely paperless in the studio. There are so many bits of information you need at breakfast from running orders to weather forecasts to news headlines to events scripts that if you’re not careful you can find yourself filling the recycling bin with sheets of A4 read only once and then discarded.
At work in the new studio
Don’t you dare spill anything
By Mark ForrestThe feeling is much the same as picking up a brand new car. Excitement and nervous anticipation tinged with the slight but significant fear that you won’t be able to use the controls properly, switching wipers on instead of indicating, windscreen demisting as you tune in the radio…
