Fáilte, or Welcome! All Classical Radio is here! Ireland's first station dedicated to classical music 24/7

All Classical Radio has officially launched as Ireland’s first radio station dedicated entirely to classical music. 

Designed as a space to focus, unwind, or just pause for a moment, the new radio station offers a calm place for great music.

 Listeners can enjoy a carefully curated mix of classical music, ranging from well-known favourites and film soundtracks to timeless pieces and contemporary works, designed to create a relaxing soundtrack for the day.

Broadcasting from studios in Liffey Valley, Dublin, All Classical Radio is produced by RadioHub, the experienced team behind popular stations including Christmas FM and Rewind Radio and the Exploring Ireland podcast.

"We are so excited to officially welcome everyone to All Classical Radio," Daragh O'Sullivan, Content Director of RadioHub told That's Books and More. 

"All Classical Radio brings Ireland a new, uninterrupted home for classical music 24/7. You can listen online on any device at allclassicalradio.ie, ask your smart speaker to ‘Play All Classical Radio on Alexa’ or listen on DAB+ in Leinster, just press the DAB button on your car radio and find All Classical. 

We’re delighted to share All Classical Radio and see how the music resonates with listeners. I also want to say a massive thank you to all our brilliant suppliers who helped bring this station to life, especially the team at Fáilte DAB for their invaluable support."

The station is currently broadcasting on a 12-month trial licence granted by Coimisiún na Meán. During this introductory year, the focus is on building a compelling case to make All Classical Radio a permanent fixture for music lovers across the country.

How to Listen:

Enjoy a calmer soundtrack for your day, 24/7, whether in the car, at home, or in the workplace:

Online: Listen on any device at allclassicalradio.ie.

Smart Speaker: Just say “Play all Classical Radio Ireland” on Alexa.

Radio: Available on DAB+ in Leinster (Press the DAB button on your car radio and find ‘all Classical’).

Follow All Classical Radio:

Facebook: facebook.com/allClassicalRadio.ie

Instagram: instagram.com/allclassicalradio.ie/

Musicians called to perform in London - Make Music Day on June 21st

In celebration of Make Music Day, an international festival of music making on June 21st, hundreds of musicians will come together in central London for a spectacular performance, and everyone's invited to join in.

The Big Summer Wind Orchestra and Choir will assemble in Potters Fields Park for a glorious celebration of music on a giant scale. 

Previous events have brought together everything from piccolos to contrabass clarinets with a full range of singing voices. This year should be the biggest ever, and anyone can register to perform.

Do you have a musical instrument in the attic, and the case hasn't been opened in a while? Are you a shower singer and would love to showcase your voice to the world? Now's your chance! 

Musicians from across England will gather for this special one-off performance, and absolutely everyone is invited to register and join in. No experience required and no rehearsal is necessary. An expert musical director will guide everyone through specially prepared sheet music suitable for everyone. Best of all, it's completely free to take part.

There's still time to sign up, any wind, brass or percussion player, or singer, can register to take part. Complete the online form to ensure your space, and receive sheet music and full instructions in advance. All you need to bring along is your instrument and music stand, or just your voice. Just visit the website at https://bigsummerwindorchestra.org to register and learn more.

The event will include brand new compositions and arrangements especially for the event, alongside a range of classical favourites and popular songs. From chart-topping hits to opera choruses, and folk songs to musical theatre, there'll really be something for everyone in the programme.

This year the performance will take place in Potters Fields Park, a beautiful green space beside the River Thames between London Bridge and Tower Bridge. Weekend bandstand performances are a wonderful tradition in city parks, and this event will be a huge scale concert for everyone to enjoy.

Event co-ordinator, Adam Funnell, told That's Books and More: “our huge event on Make Music Day will bring together hundreds of musicians into a unique ensemble. We want people to dust off their instruments, warm up their voices and join in, especially if they don’t usually perform in a group. Hundreds of musicians performing such a wide range of music, in the stunning central London location, will make for a truly wonderful concert.”

The event is proudly co-organised by Making Music and supported by Team London Bridge, Potters Fields Park Management Trust, Arts Council England and the Peoples Postcode Lottery. 

The London performance is part of the Make Music Day UK events popping up across the country, including Big Wind Orchestra and Choir events in every UK nation. From libraries, pubs and shopping centres, to parks, gardens and the biggest concert halls, June 21st will be filled with music making wherever you are.

24/7 Laughter Now Available Via Comedy UK's new radio station

COMEDYUK has officially launched as the UK's first and only 24/7 dedicated comedy radio station. 

Delivering non-stop laughs around the clock, Comedy UK brings together live stand-up, classic clips, and fresh voices celebrating the best of British humour. Available online, on app, and on smart speakers, because the nation deserves a good laugh!

But COMEDYUK also goes beyond the playlist. Each week, live comedy gigs are streamed directly to listeners, capturing the raw energy of the UK's world-class live comedy circuit and bringing it straight to your ears, wherever you are.

COMEDYUK also launches with an addictive new interactive feature: "Whose Laugh Is It Anyway?" A fresh spin on the classic guess-the-voice format, challenging listeners to identify famous celebrities from their laugh alone. Simple concept. Harder than you think.

Streaming now at ComedyUK.online, and available via app, smart speaker, and YouTube, COMEDYUK is the new home of British comedy, meaning there's never a bad time or place to sit back and have a good laugh.

Plus the fun doesn't stop at your speaker. On 18th June 2026, COMEDYUK hits the road with its first ever Comedy UK Radio Roadshow, kicking off at the iconic Leicester Square Theatre in London before touring major cities across the UK.

The London show will be broadcast live on the station and features a stellar line-up:

• Jessica Fostekew

• Thanyia Moore

• Alex Kealy

• Ria Lina

• Roman Harris. Voted New Comedian of the Year

COMEDYUK is a partnership between NextUp, Bridgemore Productions, and Positive Digital Media, three organisations united by industry expertise and a genuine love of comedy. The station is funded through a mix of advertising and subscription, offering both free listening and premium options for comedy fans who want more.

John Dash, Director, Comedy UK Media Ltd explained to That's Books and More: "COMEDYUK is live, and we couldn't be more excited. This is something completely new for UK audiences, a dedicated comedy station available 24/7. From live gigs to interactive features and the upcoming Roadshow, we're building a platform that celebrates comedy in every form and brings fans closer to it than ever before."

Hampshire Author Gethyn Jones Releases Fatal Equation: Sweet Revenge, a Romantic Suspense Novel with Companion Soundtrack

Hampshire author and former BBC producer and composer Gethyn Jones has released Fatal Equation: Sweet Revenge, the second novel in the Fatal Equation trilogy. 

Published on 21 April 2026, the book combines romantic suspense, domestic thriller tension and contemporary British and Irish settings, with a distinctive companion soundtrack available on Spotify. 

Set between Hampshire and Tipperary, Fatal Equation: Sweet Revenge follows Laura and Ali as they try to rebuild their lives after the devastating events of the first novel. As Laura pursues her philanthropic ambitions and Ali focuses on his music career, a figure from the past returns with revenge in mind, pushing their fragile future into danger. 

Written to work both as a stand-alone novel and as part of the wider trilogy, the book blends relationship drama, psychological threat and a strong sense of place. Its cross-media concept is one of its defining features: readers can also listen to the Coolstar playlist created to accompany the story, adding an immersive musical dimension to the novel.    

“I wanted Fatal Equation: Sweet Revenge to combine the emotional pull of romance, the tension of a thriller and the atmosphere of music,” Gethyn Jones told That's Books and More.

“The companion soundtrack gives readers another way to enter the world of the story.” 

Jones brings decades of experience in broadcasting and music to his fiction. Fatal Equation: Sweet Revenge is available now in Kindle and paperback formats on Amazon UK:    

The trilogy website is available at https://fatalequation.com, and the companion soundtrack can be heard on Spotify via the Coolstar playlist.

Tracing the Rails® Launches National Search for Britain’s Next Lost Railway Story

Show presenter Steven with loco 41312

Tracing the Rails Productions Ltd, the not-for-profit team behind the acclaimed documentary series Tracing the Rails®, is launching a national appeal to help decide which lost railway line should become the focus of a future series.

The documentary series began by following the former Steyning Line in West Sussex, uncovering the forgotten stations, hidden trackbeds, community memories and local stories connected to a railway that once shaped the landscape and the lives of those who lived along it.

Now, as the first series continues to grow its audience through YouTube, community screenings and television broadcast on Rewind TV, the team is inviting the public to nominate other lost, closed or abandoned railway lines from across Britain.

Director Chris Kirk told That's Books and More: “We know the Steyning Line is only one of many lost railway stories waiting to be told. 

"Across the country, there are vanished stations, forgotten bridges, old cuttings, former railway communities and memories that deserve to be preserved. 

"We want people to tell us which line they think should be next. It needs to be exciting, contain abandoned stations and maybe tunnels and viaducts, but be less well publicised. Something with a story waiting to be told, like we have with the Steyning Line in Sussex.”

The appeal is open to railway enthusiasts, local historians, former railway workers, community groups and anyone with photographs, memories, documents, artefacts or family stories linked to a lost railway.

Tracing the Rails has also recently gained wider recognition, reaching the semi-finals of the Hollywood Indie Film Festival in two categories: Best Serialised Web Documentary and Best Feature Documentary.

Tracing the Rails Productions Ltd is a not-for-profit company, with all support helping to cover the practical costs of filming, research, archive material, insurance, travel and editing through Patreon.

To nominate a lost railway line for a future series, or to support the project, visit tracingtherails.com

or email info@tracingtherails.com and of course, watch Season 1!

Independent title Walt & The Magical Bee presented at London and Bologna international book fairs

Walt & The Magical Bee is an original illustrated story created by artist and author Cristina Cargasacchi, founder of the independent creative studio Goldenhive Productions, based in Southall, London.

Following its participation at the London Book Fair 2026, the project was also presented at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2026, where it was included in the Foreword Reviews collective exhibition, a curated showcase of selected independent titles presented to an international audience of publishers, agents, and creative industry professionals.

These presentations mark an important step in introducing the project within an international publishing and creative context.

Inspired by the life and creative spirit of Walt Disney, Walt & The Magical Bee is a lyrical illustrated story for both children and adults, with early-stage ideas for adaptation into audiobook, film, and stage. It is an independent work, not affiliated with or endorsed by The Walt Disney Company.

Cristina Cargasacchi, a graduate of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia, is an artist and author whose work has developed over time through her own creative path.

“I hope this story can keep growing and reach people in different ways,” Cristina told That's Books and More.

Through Goldenhive Productions, Cristina continues to create across publishing, visual, and performance formats, with Walt & The Magical Bee at the centre of this journey.

www.goldenhiveproductions.com

Haydn’s The Creation Set to Shine at Sheffield’s Victoria Hall

Music lovers and fans of classical storytelling are in for a remarkable treat this summer. On Saturday, 13 June 2026, Sheffield’s historic Victoria Hall will host a powerful performance of one of classical music’s most celebrated works: Joseph Haydn’s monumental oratorio, The Creation.

In an exciting collaboration, the Sheffield Chamber Orchestra will join forces with the Steel City Choristers and three acclaimed soloists from Opera North, all conducted by John Lyon. 

Bringing together around 70 musicians, the performance promises a sweeping musical retelling of the world’s beginning, drawing inspiration from the Book of Genesis and John Milton’s Paradise Lost.

Haydn’s The Creation is widely regarded as one of the crowning achievements of the classical repertoire. According to Denis McCaldin, Director of the Haydn Society of Great Britain, the composer was inspired to write the piece after attending the grand Handel festivals in London. The result is a magnificent fusion of orchestral brilliance, operatic storytelling, and the rich tradition of English choral music.

One of the most famous moments arrives early in the work with the dramatic orchestral introduction known as “The Representation of Chaos.” This striking musical passage resolves suddenly into a radiant C-major chord as the choir proclaims the words “And there was LIGHT.” Even today, the moment still sends shivers through audiences.

A special highlight of the concert is the participation of the Steel City Choristers, an independent choir that brings children and adults together to perform to cathedral-level standards. Under the direction of Eleanor Jarvis, the choir provides both musical excellence and an inspiring educational experience. Jarvis emphasises the profound sense of achievement young singers feel when mastering a complex work like this, particularly in beloved choruses such as “The Heavens are Telling.”

The production also features three exceptional soloists from Opera North:

Claire Lees (Soprano) performs the roles of the archangel Gabriel and Eve, delivering the lyrical aria “With Verdure Clad,” a celebration of nature’s beauty.

Tom Smith (Tenor) appears as the archangel Uriel, guiding the audience through the unfolding story with both grandeur and reflective warmth.

Andrew Randall (Bass) portrays Raphael and Adam, bringing vivid character to Haydn’s playful musical depictions of animals and creation itself.

Beyond its artistic ambition, the concert also reflects Sheffield Chamber Orchestra’s mission to bring outstanding classical music to the heart of the city. The organisation is currently seeking a Programme Sponsor, offering local businesses an opportunity to support the arts while connecting with Sheffield’s vibrant cultural community.

With its blend of drama, beauty and joyful celebration, this performance promises to be a standout event in Sheffield’s 2026 cultural calendar.

Performance Details

Date: Saturday, 13 June 2026

Time: 2:00 PM

Venue: Victoria Hall, Norfolk Street, Sheffield

Tickets: £12 in advance / £6 for under-18s

Booking: www.scorchestra.uk

For anyone who loves music, literature, or the timeless power of great storytelling, this promises to be an unforgettable afternoon.