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CLASSICAL NOTES with Nick Boston

Reviews and previews from our classical music columnist.

Brighton Marathon 2023 to go ahead under new management after organisers go bust

Brighton & Hove City Council councillors have agreed a plan that will see London Marathon Events given a licence to deliver the Brighton Marathon event from 2023.

COLUMN: One Gay Man and His Love of Dogs, by Matt Rood of Rooddog

In his new monthly column, Matt Rood tells us about his Christmas appeal for Dogs Trust Brighton and shares his Dog of the Month for those looking to adopt a pooch.

Affinity Bar Brighton to hold huge cabaret fundraiser for the victims and families of Club Q attack

Hosted by Kara Van Park and Lovinia Belle, the event will see cabaret stars and one of Brighton's choirs come together in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community of Colorado Springs.

MenTalkHealth to hold volunteer catchment event at the Ledward Centre on Saturday, December 3

MenTalkHealth, a registered charity that supports men in the LGBTQ+ community to talk about their mental health and help them understand that it’s okay to not be okay, is to hold a volunteer catchment event at the Ledward Centre, 14a Jubilee St, Brighton BN1 1GE on Saturday, December 3 from 1-4pm.

MenTalkHealth say: "We work across the South Coast where we attend events and hold accredited mental health first aid training. We offer peer support and signpost those in need to the right services.

The White Hart Wolverhampton: new pub to bring LGBTQ+ back to the city

The news has been met with excitement from the local LGBTQ+ community, bringing an LGBTQ+ venue back to Wolverhampton.

Campaign launched to save Light House Wolverhampton Wolverhampton

The centre was forced to close at the beginning of November, due to financial issues, exacerbated by a 16-month Covid shutdown

FILM REVIEW: Francois OzonRemastered and Uncut

Brian Butler revisits controversial French film-maker Francois Ozon and finds disturbing beauty.

Report reveals most LGBTQ+ doctors hide their sexual orientation or gender identity at work

The report was based on a survey of UK doctors which found that negative stereotypes, derogatory language, and social exclusion of LGBTQ+ people persist within the medical profession.

Director of Birmingham Pride appointed Birmingham Night-Time Economy Champion

Lawrence Barton will be the city’s first Night-time Economy Champion, in a role that mirrors positions in London and Greater Manchester.

The Rainbow Mile to raise funds for Brighton Rainbow Fund in August 2023

The world-first event, which combines LGBTQ+ and sporting communities, is to kick off at Madeira Drive in Brighton in August 2023.

Birmingham-born actor wins Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting with debut play

Nathan Queeley-Dennis’ debut play, Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz explores black friendship and masculinity.

The Future is Back: free online creative writing and mentoring scheme for UK-based LGBTQ+ writers

The scheme is to help writers who wish to take their craft to the next level by providing a safe, supportive and stimulating environment, and giving insight into the professional writing world.

This World Cup, help Stonewall fill a virtual stadium with Pride for LGBTQ+ people in Qatar

Join the virtual Proud Stadium to receive information about LGBTQ+ rights in Qatar and other countries taking part in the tournament.

Queer Britain exhibition 'We Are Queer Britain!' wins Museums Association Award

The UK's LGBTQ+ museum Queer Britain has announced its We Are Queer Britain! exhibition, a riot of objects, voices, art and images, has won an award from the Museums Association.

Queer Britain say: "Winning this is just the beginning. We have much more work to do to help preserve our histories and shine a light on them."

BE MY THIS XMAS BABY

RHIAN! UNWRAPPED

Rhian! loves Christmas! We get cosy with the pop star to talk about the festive season and his Motown-inspired new single

) You moved from Trinidad to London. What inspired the move?

Hey, I’m Rhian! and that’s with an exclamation mark for effect. Let me take a breath before I answer this question. I moved to London from Trinidad when I was younger, shortly after being outed to my parents by someone from my dad’s church. I lived in the UK for six years. I moved back to Trinidad for a minute then lived in Shanghai for a number of years. Then it was back to Trinidad for a couple of months before spending the first half of 2020 in New York and then finally coming back to London. It’s been quite a journey and story up to this point in my life and the story is far from being over.

Who are your musical inspirations?

Growing up, my idols were Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. The greats!

How would you describe your sound?

My sound is very eclectic. I’ve lived in so many places and experienced different cultures and sounds that have inspired my sound. My songs all can be placed in multiple genres but it’s my voice and arrangement/producing style that brings it all together and makes it cohesive.

What does Christmas mean to you?

I really, really love Christmas. From the Christmas story to the commercial side of things with the lights and all things sparkly and

festive. It’s a time of giving, putting differences aside and coming together. This Christmas I’ll be spending it with friends (my extended family) doing lots of festive things.

What inspired your new track Be My Baby

This Christmas?

In case you didn’t realise, I love Christmas and because I love Christmas so much, I wanted to create something that had a timeless feel to it. It’s upbeat and fun but it also touches on that yearning and longing for love. A lot of people are alone at Christmas time, so I wanted to acknowledge that. I was very inspired by the Motown sound of the ‘60s and the Christmas albums of that era.

What’s your favourite Christmas song of all time?

You can’t ask me that. It’s too hard to choose… but if I’m going to go with a traditional one, it’ll be O Holy Night - Mariah’s version.

What do you have planned for 2023 –anything exciting in the pipeline?

I have so many things that I want to achieve in 2023. I would love to perform at all of the Prides in UK next year. I’ll be releasing my debut

EP The Real Rhian! Volume 1 in the spring. You can expect a lot of new music from me next year and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.

D For more info on Rhian!, visit: https://linktr.ee/rhianmusic

) Photographer: Norbert Mery

“In case you didn’t realise, I love Christmas and because I love Christmas so much, I wanted to create something that had a timeless feel to it.”

Birmingham Pride’s Eva Echo wins Trans in the City award

Eva Echo was awarded the Trans Community Champion Award at Trans in the City’s gala.

New report reveals extent of barriers to PrEP access in England

New research has revealed two thirds (65%) of people who want to access highly effective HIV prevention drug PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) are unable to do so.

Winners of the Books Are My Bag Readers' Awards announced

Books by Juno Dawson, Shon Faye, Lemn Sissay, Louie Stowell and Erik J. Brown chosen as readers’ favourites of the year.

Elska shares intimate images and honest stories from Gay Paris

Elska Magazine, a publication dedicated to sharing the bodies and voices of LGBTQ+ communities around the world, has put the spotlight on Paris for its latest issue.

‘We are all born naked, and the rest is drag’: How RuPaul’s Drag Race ‘spectacularises’ LGBTQ+ stigma

Researchers have spent months analysing more than a million tweets, thousands of newspaper and magazine articles, and countless items of usergenerated content in an attempt to discover what makes RuPaul’s Drag Race such a success.

On top of watching every episode of the popculture juggernaut, the team of Mario Campana, Katherine Duffy and Maria Rita Micheli trawled through social media comments and usergenerated content, such as online glossaries of drag queen lingo.

ALL THAT JAZZ: Christmas round-up from jazz music columnist Simon Adams

At the end of the year, here is my round up of some of the best new jazz albums of 2022.

80% of Villa & Proud members will not be watching World Cup

The survey took opinions from roughly 20% of their 550 members.

FEATURE: The queer history of architecture and design

By Devin Shaffer, Lead Interior Designer at Decorilla Online Interior Design.

Joe Lycett shreds £10,000 as David Beckham refuses to end his World Cup ambassadorship with anti-LGBTQ+ Qatar

At 12pm on Sunday November 20, the day that the FIFA World Cup was due to kick off in Qatar, Joe Lycett shredded David Beckham’s reputation as an LGBTQ+ ally alongside £10,000 of his own money live on Benderslikebeckham.com, dressed in a ruffled, rainbow outfit.

The comedian makes no comment in the video, but simply curtsies and steps out of shot.

TransActual UK publishes major new report into transition-related healthcare -

The Transition Access Survey 2022 shines a light on how "the NHS is failing trans people on an industrial scale".

Birmingham unveils HIV & AIDS Memorial on World AIDS Day

On World AIDS Day - Thursday, December 1 - the Birmingham community came together in Hippodrome Square to witness the unveiling of the city’s AIDS & HIV Memorial sculpture, almost two years after the idea was born from artist Garry Jones.

Jones, alongside the sculptor Luke Perry and the rest of the team for Birmingham AIDS & HIV Memorial, made the six-metre steel sculpture – the largest memorial of its kind in the UK – a reality after raising more than £180,000.

Birmingham LGBT Centre to open its doors on Christmas Day

The Centre will be opening its doors on Sunday, December 25 for LGBTQ+ people who might otherwise be spending Christmas Day alone.

Terrence Higgins Trust appoints Rhys Goode to deliver HIV Action Plan in Wales

Rhys becomes Head of Terrence Higgins Trust Cymru to help ensure the country meets its goal of ending new HIV cases by 2030.

Birmingham’s LGBTQ+ film club to return in December

Journey Film Club in Birmingham is “a local nonprofit community pop-up cinema film club that prides itself on delivering the very best in different, varied themed films"

Burning the Clocks to return to Brighton for first time in two years

The annual event to mark the shortest day of the year starts on New Road, Brighton at 6.30pm on Wednesday, December 21, with a parade that runs from the city centre to the seafront.

Brighton Gin founder, Kathy Caton, appointed to Gin Guild’s board

In the coveted role Kathy will champion smaller distilleries advocating for the advantages that joining the respected industry body affords artisan producers in the UK and worldwide.

BLAGSS' Bowling Extravaganza raises £500 for Lunch Positive

This year's winners were BLAGSS Tennis, who won convincingly, followed by BLAGSS Badminton in second place, and Trans Can Sport in third place.

Save money and reduce waste with the Brighton & Hove Library of Things

Brighton & Hove residents can now borrow useful items like drills, carpet cleaners and sound systems, for free, from the Library of Things.

Brighton & Hove Pride announces magical festival offering at Ironworks Studios

Continuing Brighton & Hove Pride's mission to support LGBTQ+ artists all year round, they have announced some magical festive offerings for you this December.

Winter wellbeing: Advice and tips to stay positive when things seem bleak

Research finds vaccination offers strong protection against monkeypox -

Evidence indicates that a single MVA-BN vaccine dose provides around 78% protection against monkeypox 14 days after being vaccinated.

New research looking at LGBTQ+ people’s experiences of family violence when growing up

University of Roehampton seeks to interview LGBTQ+ people who have experienced some form of abuse or violence from one or more family members while growing up.

Sussex Beacon and Peer Action to merge next month

Bill Puddicombe, executive director of HIV charity the Sussex Beacon, comments.

World AIDS Day exhibition at Brighton's Jubilee Library till December 4

This year’s World AIDS Day exhibition - in the main windows of Brighton's Jubilee Library - presents a previously unseen handmade panel made for the AIDS Memorial Quilt, along with images documenting the Brighton Cares AIDS Memorial Quilt exhibition, which took place close by at the Corn Exchange in June 1983.

Miss Hope Springs to bring 'Christmas Agogo!' to Brighton's Rialto Theatre

On Saturday, December 10 at Rialto Theatre in Brighton, Miss Hope Springs returns with the umpteenth reprise of her ground-breaking 1971 Granada TV special Christmas Agogo!... to this day considered an un-aired classic.

Leaving behind the comfort of her Dungeness campervan, La Springs rummages under her slightly wilted Christmas tree to unpack a glittering array of ridiculously catchy all-original self-penned festive numbers and regale with scandalous showbiz stories from her Ritz to the pits life.

The lower house of Russia’s parliament has passed the final reading of a bill that bans the promotion of 'LGBT propaganda' to children - including in films, books or advertising.

The Clare Project "deeply saddened" following the passing of community member Matty Sheldrick

"Matty was known to many as a dog-loving poet and artist, often found juggling at the Clare Project's drop-ins and Neurodivergent Group, or with their lovely dog Lola on our Community Walks."

CEO of Mermaids steps down

Susie Green has left the charity, which supports gender variant and transgender youth, after six years in charge.

Our Christmas cracker Dale Melita shares magical POP playlist for the festive season

The Bulldog, one of Brighton's oldest gay bars, has closed its doors

The Bulldog said on Facebook: "We are distraught to inform you all that we have had to come to a very sad and emotional decision."

Scene Magazine - December 2022 (West Midlands)

BE MY THIS XMAS BABY

RHIAN! UNWRAPPED

Russia passes 'anti-gay' propaganda law