July 2006 | 124 » Essays

Melody makers Nick Crowe Despite routine claims of decline, music in Britain is thriving. Bands, groups and choirs of all kinds are flourishing, and new digital technologies have opened up the world of music to a generation of bedroom-based producer-players. But can our schools and conservatoires keep up with these changes? July 2006	Mandarin intellectuals Kamran Nazeer Stuffed full of Locke-quoting philosophers and particle physicists, the civil service elite is the last refuge of the British intellectual. But given recent examples of Whitehall maladministration, is this to be celebrated? July 2006

Melody makers