MUSIC COURSES
Looking to expand your musical horizons? Look no further than our wide range of courses, covering everything from classical to popular music. we have courses to suit Join us today and start your musical journey!
Join Mike on a welcoming journey into the world of live music, exploring how concert experiences have evolved from intimate early performances to today’s spectacular, high-tech productions. This engaging course looks at why live music continues to captivate audiences of all ages — bringing people together through shared emotion, excitement, and unforgettable moments.
Along the way, we’ll go behind the scenes to discover what really makes a great live show. From the artists on stage and the venues they perform in, to lighting design, sound engineering, staging, and atmosphere, you’ll gain insight into the many elements that combine to create a powerful concert experience.
Whether you’re a lifelong music lover or simply curious about what happens beyond the spotlight, this course celebrates the magic behind the music, the buzz of the crowd, and the unique connection between performers and audiences. Expect fascinating insights, memorable examples, and plenty of discussion as we uncover how live concerts turn ordinary evenings into lasting memories.
Today, Carmen is one of the world’s most beloved operas — but its 1875 premiere at Paris’s Opéra-Comique was a disaster.
Critics dismissed it, audiences were scandalised, and its composer, Georges Bizet, died shortly afterwards, never knowing the acclaim that would follow.
So why was Carmen rejected? Parisian audiences, shaped by bourgeois values promoted after the French Revolution and under Napoleon Bonaparte, expected wholesome entertainment. Instead, they were confronted with a fearless heroine, moral ambiguity, and a shocking finale of brutal violence.
This talk explores how middle-class taste came to dominate opera, how the trauma of the Paris Commune still hung over the city, and why Carmen felt so unsettling just four years later. With musical extracts throughout, we’ll uncover how a once-hated opera became an enduring masterpiece.
