Emma’s Articles

  In the summer of 2023, I founded, with my husband, bass player, Chris West, the Orchestra for the Environment. Our concerts aim to highlight through music, the beauty of …

It’s been in the news recently, in fact some schools are claiming it spells the demise of the homework essay, so, in the interests of research, definitely not laziness, I …

Gerald Finzi’s Clarinet Concerto was completed in 1949 and yet its fame keeps growing; in fact it feels more relevant today than ever. I often find myself invited to perform …

I have been invited to adjudicate on numerous panels recently (must be my age…) so I thought it might be helpful if I wrote a blog giving guidance to any …

‘Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast. To soften rocks, or bend the knotted oak’  William Congreve. Music never ceases to astonish me. With its power to sweep listeners …

I’m working towards a performance of the Clarinet Trio by nineteenth century musician, Louise Farrenc (1804-1875) https://www.emmajohnson.co.uk/concerts/ It’s a sparkling piece, well written for clarinet, piano and cello and dating …

Does Birdsong Have the Same Origins as our Music? It’s always a privilege to work towards a performance of Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, as I currently am …

Sometimes wind players are under the impression that the sound they make is purely due to their instrument. They create  oscillations in air flow by blowing across a reed, or …

Last year I had the pleasure of meeting the Beethoven scholar, Jonathan del Mar. I was just about to give a performance of Vittorio Monti’s Czardas, so we fell to …

Recently I was invited by my old secondary school to come and give a talk. They’d noticed a reduction in the number of students taking part in musical events, so …