I’m Simon Brackenborough, a freelance classical music writer, speaker and administrator based in London.

I came across the word ‘Corymbus’ in a title of the first movement of the piano concerto by Edmund Rubbra. The term has roots in Greek mythology and a botanical meaning for a cluster of berries or flowers. I chose it for the title of this blog because it reflects not only my interest in composers like Rubbra, but in looking at the connections between music, nature, and the wider humanities.

Outside of this site, I’ve written programme notes for Wigmore Hall, The Barbican, Edinburgh International Festival, and conducted Q&As at the Anvil, Basingstoke, with composer Anna Thorvaldsdóttir and members of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. If you’d like to discuss a writing or speaking commission, please get in touch via the Contact page. 

If you’d like to support this blog, you can subscribe to the Patreon for £1/$1 a month, or make a one-off donation on Paypal.