Philip Spires commonplace book

I have kept a commonplace book for many years. It's a place where scraps of impressions are filed for future reflection. It's not a diary, it's just a mental scrapbook, concentrating on book reviews, concert reviews, visual arts and some occasional pieces on travel. It is also a place where I occasionally reflect on what I write. Details of my books can be found at http://www.philipspires.co.uk

Sunday, October 29, 2023

Antonio Pappano, Yeol Eum Son and the London Symphony in Kendall, Liszt and Strauss in ADDA, Alicante

›

When it comes to star billing, in the world of so-called classical music, there is no bigger ticket than Antonio Pappano directing the Londo...

Monday, October 23, 2023

Congyu Wang - 24 Oct Denia International Piano Festival

›

Congyu Wan's playing was explosive and at the same time tender. He has definitely thought about every phrase. But he does not over-s...

Saturday, October 14, 2023

Memorable? You bet! Joe Alessi plays Chick Corea’s trombone Concerto at ADDA, Alicante

›

The word memorable is much overused. It now tends to signify something that is rather bland, an experience unworthy of being labelled “world...

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Stefanie Irany, Josep Vicent and ADDA orchestra in Strauss, Berlioz and Tchaikovsky

›

Programa Richard Strauss, Muerte y Transfiguración Op.24 23:00 Hector Berlioz, La muerte de Cleopatra 22:00 I. C’en est donc fait! 03...

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafaq

›

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafaq is a novel about Cyprus and its recent history. Via the love affair and developing relationship b...

United States - Essays 1952-1992 by Gore Vidal.

›

I remember watching Gore Vidal on television, usually on one of those talk shows he seems to view with contempt. He seemed to be a living op...

Wednesday, October 4, 2023

Denia International Piano Festival, 4 Oct 2023

›

Istv á n I. Sz é kely István is a concert pianist and internationally recognised teacher. He is Professor at the Conservatorio Superior Kata...

‹

›

Home

View web version

About Me

philipspires: I was born in Wakefield and was brought up in Sharslton, a mining Village. I went to London University and then became a maths teacher, working initially as a volunteer teacher in Kenya. I spent sixteen years in London, in Balham and Islington. In 1992, I left Britain for Brunei and then Zayed University in Abu Dhabi. I currently live in La Nucia, near Benidorm in Spain. I am interested in the relationship between nature and nurture, birthright and experience. Themes of culture and identity and their relation to economic and social roles underpin my writing. What we are born into relates to what we become, but we are rarely in control. What others do, our interests and intellects and the way we choose to earn a living, all of these shape us into what we become. It may be that culture is the sum of all assumptions that others make on our behalf, whereas identity represents our reactions to them. I did a PhD on the effects of education in economic development in the Philippines. I was President of Alfas del Pi Music Society for twelve years.

View my complete profile