The Sound of Utopia: Musicians in the Time of Stalin review – hymn to the exiled and executed
This moving study of the Russian composers and performers who fell foul of the Soviet dictator features stories that freeze the veins and stir the heart
Tina returner: why discovering lost songs, films and books is simply the best
Finding a forgotten track by the late singer goes to the heart of who we are, how we connect and the way we define ourselves
On my radar: Alison Goldfrapp’s cultural highlights
The electropop star on her favourite quirky bookshop, Marmite and cheese pastries and the second series of Severance
In brief: Slow Train Coming; How to Sleep at Night; A Sign of Her Own – review
Behind the scenes on Dylan musical Girl from the North Country; a sharp tale of political and family strife; and a fine novel about sensory deprivation
‘She couldn’t walk, she couldn’t talk’: music therapy helped Joni Mitchell recover from a stroke – could it ward off depression and dementia too?
When his friend, the legendary songwriter, had a catastrophic stroke, neuroscientist Daniel Levitin put together a programme of music therapy. Now he’s recommending it for a whole range of conditions
Amanda Palmer ‘profoundly disturbed’ by sexual assault allegations against ex-partner Neil Gaiman
The singer-songwriter posted a statement on Instagram after multiple women accused the author of sexual misconduct in a New York Magazine article this week
The Fourth Choir review – James Joyce’s The Dead is brought vividly to life
The exceptionally polished LGBTQ+ chamber choir teamed with Niamh Cusack for a beautifully paced production of Joyce’s short story
Music As Medicine by Daniel Levitin review – musician, heal thyself
In this fascinating book, the neuroscientist makes a strong case for the therapeutic force of music, describing ways in which it can be a beneficial part of recovery for patients
‘It’s been life-changing’: meet the adults making big changes later in life
Some people never learn to read or swim or even cook as children - but with the right spirit there’s still time to make things right
On my radar: Siobhan Finneran’s cultural highlights
The actor on the band she can’t wait to see, the best place to meet friends for food in Manchester, and performance poetry that made her laugh and cry
The Sound of Utopia by Michel Krielaars review – the musicians persecuted by Stalin
A revelatory account of the composers and performers whose lives were determined by the whims of a dictator
Stanley Booth obituary
American music journalist who chronicled ‘the mystery of the Rolling Stones’ in their pomp
Nonfiction to look out for in 2025
From a river voyage with Robert Macfarlane to Helen Garner’s candid tale of a broken marriage, via Ian Leslie’s analysis of Lennon and McCartney’s complicated kinship, here are the titles you can’t afford to miss
Andi Oliver: ‘Life’s too short to be appalling’
The TV personality, chef, musician and author has made her cultural mark, but has faced her fights – racism, violence, grief, poverty as a single mum. How did this nascent national treasure turn trauma into triumph?
On my radar: Jasleen Kaur’s cultural highlights
The Turner prizewinner on the art of the Gaza Biennale, the joys of a queer community choir, and a poet who speaks to today’s injustices