A selection of M&V 'Good Friday' articles

DVD Spotlight. Blocks of Snow - 'Cavalleria rusticana' and 'Pagliacci', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... not always marooned in frozen wastes.'

A Genuine Beethoven Pianist - Simon Watterton gives a lunchtime recital in London, heard by Julian Jacobson

Ensemble. Distinctive Fervour - Music for Holy Week sung by the Chapelle du Roi, heard by Robert Hugill

CD Spotlight. A Forthright Approach - J S Bach's St Matthew Passion, recommended by Howard Smith. '... the Ex Cathedra performance is a triumph.'

Ensemble. Sing ye to the Lord - Roderic Dunnett was at the 2009 Hereford Three Choirs Festival

Record box. Energy and power - The Bach Collegium Japan performance of the St John Passion, experienced by Keith Bramich