32 festivals pour un été musical en France

In the forest, in a truck, above the clouds or at the waterside, a wine glass in hand, walking, singing, dancing or improvising: there's something here for every style and every taste.

France is truly the country of the summer music festival, with dozens – perhaps hundreds – to choose from. Bachtrack founders David and Alison toured four very different festivals in July.

A leading composer and conductor of opera in Germany, Manfred Gurlitt’s Jewish ancestry led to his music being banned. Emigrating to Japan, Gurlitt became a pioneer of opera and Western classical music in Japan, a legacy still felt today.

We profile one of the most advanced and best-sounding concert halls in the UK, and take a look further afield at arts and culture across Manchester.

From Buxtehude, Bach and Handel, to contemporary composer Liza Lim, we take a tour of the myriad forms of composers’ handwriting and calligraphy – and how music makes itself on the page.

A century after its founding in 1926, former members of Ballet Rambert recall the joys and challenges of working directly with Dame Marie Rambert, one of the trailblazers of British ballet.