Sorted Magazine

Category: Celebrity News

  • From the archive: Music eased my grief

    Former 80s pop star, the Reverend Richard Coles, published a book that lays bare the profound grief he felt at losing his ‘life partner’ – and reveals he found solace in music.

    The Madness Of Grief is a poignant account of Coles coping with the 2019 loss of his partner, Richard, and how he dealt with the trauma and pain of bereavement.

    He reveals he has an eclectic taste in music, revelling in the stirring synthesizer sounds of The Eurythmics while being awe-struck by hymns such as Thou Visitest The Earth and All My Hope On God Is Founded.

    And it is to these melodies, and more, he turned when he was at his lowest ebb.

    Although not a self-help book, the homilies, experience and catharsis within creates invaluable solace. It will resonate for the myriad struggling with grief wrought by the pandemic.

    Since relinquishing pop stardom for the vestry, Coles was vicar of St Mary The Virgin in the Northamptonshire parish of Finedon. He can also be heard on Radio Four every Saturday morning, where he co-hosts a popular weekend programme.

    His latest book follows Fathomless Riches and Bringing In The Sheaves – his best-selling memoirs.

    Richard Coles’ top 10 pieces of music…

    1. Cactus Tree by Joni Mitchell
    2. Love Is A Stranger by The Eurythmics
    3. Me And The Sky by Jenn Colella
    4. Drumming by Steve Reich
    5. Shackles (Praise You) by Mary mary
    6. Making Plans For Nigel by XTC
    7. Though Visitest The Earth by Maurice Greene
    8. Promised Land by Joe Smooth
    9. Libertango by Richard Galliano
    10. All My Hope On God Is Founded by Herbert Howells

    Main Photo Credit: Jace Afsoon via Unsplash

  • Sport: Kyren Wilson wins world snooker championship

    Excitement was off the scale here at Sorted HQ as we watched Kyren Wilson win his second World Championship final against Welsh qualifier Jak Jones. BBC Sport reports Wilson beating Jones 18-14 to win the world championship. Last year I had the pleasure of getting to know Kyren a little bit better when I interviewed him for Sorted Magazine. I’m a big snooker fan so what a thrill it was to speak to one of the top guys in the world – World Number Seven, Kyren Wilson. Here’s how it went:

    Steve Legg (SL): Hi Kyren. That’s an unusual name that I’ve heard pronounced differently. What do your friends call your Ky, Kyren or nothing at all?

    Kyren Wilson (KW): Ky, Kyren or anything but never Keiron.

    SL: I’ve seen you play many times, and they mess it up sometimes, don’t they?

    KW: I know. My very first debut on TV was on Eurosport. My management company had to message the commentators saying it’s Ky as in sky and Ren as in running. That’s how they got them to pronounce it correctly. My mum and dad were actually torn between Kyle and Kieron. So they mixed the two. That is as simple as that.

    SL: So now we know. Ky, my love for snooker came from watching Pot Black, because I’m older than you. Where did it come from for you?

    KW: Just a natural obsession with it. You know, there’s a picture that my mum and dad have from when I was two or three years old. There’s like a toy baby golf set. And instead of using it the traditional way, I put the golf ball on a coffee table, turn the golf club around, and start queuing with it. You know, nobody told me what to do with it. You know, there was just a fascination. That’s the way I wanted to do it. And yeah, my dad was a very keen pool player. Yeah. And at the time, it was frowned upon for younger children to play in pubs and stuff like that. There’s an old saying of something you can’t have, you want to even more so yeah, just an obsession from a young age.

    SL: Because it’s not one of those sports like footy or tennis, you can pick up as a toddler by kicking or hitting a ball about. Snooker is an entirely different kettle of fish, though; I assume countries in the far east have some fantastic young talents. Do they have special tables for little kids?

    KW: Um, yeah, you know, one of the most amazing things that I ever saw in my travels with the world snooker tour in Shanghai, and in between the Shanghai Masters I went to visit one of their local schools. And half of the school was a snooker club. You had about four or five snooker tables, some smaller tables for the younger children. And one of them gave me their book. And I said, you know, what’s this? And it was like, their homework and it was different practice routines. So yeah, if I was born in China, I’d have loved school more.

    SL: I bet. So do you remember your first visit to a snooker club with your dad?

    KW: We were quite lucky in Kettering. There were lots of good clubs around. We went there quite often during the week. My dad used to have quite a few arguments with my mum about it, because my mum was very much into education and my dad wanted me to carry on practising. He could see that as a natural talent. So I was very lucky to have it from a young age.

    SL: So when did you realise you were outstanding?

    KW: It was when I was six years old. I played Peter Ebdon in a local charity pool match. And Peter broke off and he didn’t pot a ball. And I stepped up to the table, just six years old, wearing black trousers, a white shirt, and a red waistcoat and cleared the table. So he turned to my mum and dad and said, you know, get him into snooker. He’s got a real natural talent and that’s where his future lies.

    SL: That is amazing. Peter Ebdon is a good pal of yours and is in your corner these days and does a bit of coaching with you?

    KW: Yeah, we work closely together and he’s greatly influenced me over the years. And I was very lucky to have him as a solid, consistent practice partner for many years up until, unfortunately, recently, when he had to retire due to health reasons. So yeah, it’s been a significant impact on my career. So I’m very grateful for that.

    Footnote: The full interview was published in the July/August 2023 print edition of Sorted Magazine or listen to our conversation at Konnect Radio.

    Main Photo Credit: Courtesy of Kyren Wilson

  • Sadiq Khan: “An Easter tradition in the heart of our capital”

    Live performance in London: Since its first performance in 2010, the Wintershall Estate has presented The Passion of Jesus in Trafalgar Square, London, UK on Good Friday. The awe-inspiring full-scale re-enactment of The Passion quickly became a highly anticipated London Easter fixture.

    The story commemorating the day Jesus was arrested, tried and crucified by the Romans, before miraculously rising from the dead on Easter Sunday, is brought to life by a cast of over a hundred, dressed in full costume, along with horses, doves and a donkey.

    Secondary school teacher and trained actor Peter Bergin will play Jesus supported by the Wintershall company which is made up of volunteer actors and stage crew from in and around London and the South East.

    Wintershall producer, Charlotte de Klee said: “We are happy to be bringing the story of Jesus back to the city this year. This play belongs to London and speaks not only to those of the Christian faith, but to all faiths and traditions and those who have none. Over the years the vast audiences the play has attracted stands as testimony to that. As it takes place in the world-famous space at the heart of the capital it demonstrates the tolerance and diversity found in London.”

    Featuring realistic scenes and a moving crucifixion and resurrection, The Passion of Jesus is an unforgettable Easter experience, embracing those of all faiths and none.

    Supported by the Mayor of London, the open-air production, performed in the shadow of the National Gallery, regularly attracts more than 20,000 people to its two performances.

    This year, The Passion will be performed at 12 noon and 3:15pm. Both will be livestreamed via Facebook (www.facebook.com/Wintershallplay) and will subsequently be available to watch on Wintershall’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/wintershallplayers).

    The Passion play in London is directed by Ashley Herman and Polly King and produced by Charlotte de Klee. The Wintershall Cast are famous for their epic re-enactments of stories from the Scriptures. They also perform the extraordinary Life of Christ at the Wintershall Estate in Surrey every June (18-22 June 2024) and the now-famous Wintershall Nativity Journey each Christmas (11-16 December 2024).

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “The Passion of Jesus welcomes thousands of Londoners of all backgrounds to Trafalgar Square to enjoy a live re-enactment of the story of Jesus’s final days and resurrection. This inspiring performance has become an Easter tradition in the heart of our capital as we build a fairer and better London for all.”

    Find more information here.

    Main Photo Credit: Courtesy of Wintershall Estate

  • Music: A Festival of Christmas by All Souls Orchestra

    Digital Editor’s Note: I’m excited and proud to welcome Rob Allwright as a Guest Writer here at the Sorted Magazine website. Rob brings a wealth of experience and is one of the most respected Christian reviewers in the UK. The energy Rob devotes to supporting and encouraging Christian creatives is staggering. His review show One Man In The Middle is broadcast by Branch FM, Heartsong Live and Hope FM. And I’m just a teensy bit excited that he has joined the wonderful peeps at the Manchester based broadcaster Konnect Radio!

    Rob writes: For those who love their Christmas music with a touch of class then you need look no further than this classic album from All Souls Orchestra in London. Marked as Prom Praise Celebrates Christmas this album takes you on a classical journey through instrumentals of some of the best loved Christmas Carols and songs. Arranged and conducted by Dr Noel Tredinnick this album captures a great crisp orchestral sound which will bring a warm glow to any room where it is played!

    The first track A Christmas Festival is a bit of a medley of many different Christmas songs brilliantly wrapped up together in one brilliant piece of music and you can’t help but be swept into the Christmas spirit with this. While this is one piece of music it brilliantly captures the different elements of the various songs included here, there is time to dwell in a couple of parts before you are swept along to something else. This first track is just under seven minutes long and it really flies past! The second track also takes pieces from some of the more majestic sounding Christmas hymns. In The Bleak Midwinter, O Come All Ye Faithful, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and others are blended together to become A Christmas Overture.

    The next track is Silent Night which, when it comes to Carols is many people’s favourite. They have certainly done it justice with this version as there is a little prelude before the Cello’s come in with the main harmony and slowly other areas of the orchestra work their way into the familiar tune. It was intended that these versions of the songs would be an excellent backdrop for the Christmas season, but additionally they should be music that could be sung to as well if that is something you wanted to do. With these tracks that are well known they have kept the arrangements relatively straight forward, with a bit of an intricate introduction and then into the main body of the music. There are some rather grand openings, such as the amazing organ opening up It Came Upon A Midnight Clear.

    Along with the classics and the medleys there are some less well known tracks, including From The Squalor Of A Borrowed Stable by Stuart Townend which has never really broken out of the church in the way that it should have done, because it is a truly beautiful song. A track that I am not terribly familiar with is Overture: Hansel and Gretel originally composed by Engelbert Humperdinck which is included on this album and shows that this orchestra aren’t afraid to take on something a little more rare and challenging. The last medley on the album is the A Festival of Carols which combines another whole load of well known tunes starting with Hark, The Herald Angels Sing these even re-cover some ground with different interpretations of some carols that have appeared previously.

    This may not be the most high-brow of orchestra’s but I think that they have done a great job with these arrangements to bring these carols to life as instrumentals. These could easily play in the background throughout the whole of the Christmas period, through dinner parties, family gatherings and more, additionally they could be used for a little bit of Carol worship too for small groups or personal worship. I’m not a big orchestral or classical music fan but I really enjoyed these and appreciate the talent from every member of the orchestra.

    A Festival of Christmas – Prom Praise celebrates Christmas – All Souls Music

    Main Photo Credit: Jack Sharp via Unsplash

  • Music: Graham Kendrick releases salvation songs

    Graham Kendrick has released his third new song of 2023, and this time it’s personal. In Salvation Songs, Graham recollects memories of his father as the young pastor of a small village Chapel.

    Graham recalls: “I remember it was not unusual for our living room to be crammed after the evening service. The upright piano that sat against the wall would be pulled into the middle of the room. Young and old would crowd around it and begin to call out songs they wanted to sing. Dad would flex his fingers, and then off he’d go, playing arpeggios up and down the keyboard in the popular style of the day, the room filling with voices and harmonies. It was joyful, it was heartfelt, it was fun, and all the songs were variations of one story, old but ever new; Salvation Songs.”

    After his father passed away, Graham wrote this song for him, and with his two brothers singing harmonies, they sang it at his Thanksgiving Service. The cover artwork is a photo of one of those evenings, and includes a young Graham and his family relishing the moment.

    Salvation Songs is now available on all major streaming platforms.

    Main Photo Credit: Courtesy of Make Way Music

  • The Chosen Season Four: In UK Cinemas from February 1, 2024

    For the first time ever, the full season of a streaming TV show will be released exclusively in cinemas, distributed by Fathom Events in the US. The Chosen, the groundbreaking historical drama that has become one of the most-watched shows in the world, announced its Season Four theatrical release plan to more than 3,500 avid fans on Sunday night in Dallas, Texas at The Chosen Insiders Conference.

    Watch The Chosen: Season 4 Teaser Trailer Here

    In the UK, fans will have the chance to watch the first episodes of Season Four in cinemas across the UK and Ireland. There will also be a global red carpet event in London where press from across Europe will be able to attend.

    The Chosen’s Creator and Director, Dallas Jenkins said: “Every time we’ve dipped our toes in the theatrical waters, viewers have overwhelmingly told us they want more. After seeing the Season Four episodes, we knew we’d be doing our fans a disservice if we denied them the chance to see them all on a big screen with others they can laugh and cry with.”

    The Chosen has become a cultural phenomenon with impressive performance across streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Peacock, and top ratings weekly in the US on The CW Freeview channel. What began as a pioneering crowd-funded project has now evolved into a global sensation with more than ten million social media followers. Due to the efforts of the Come and See Foundation, The Chosen is on pace to be the most translated series in history, as the first three seasons will soon be available in 50 languages with plans to subtitle in more than 600.

    The Chosen is a testament to the power of independent production, with Dallas Jenkins serving as writer, director, and producer. Lionsgate is the show’s global television distributor. 

    Main Phot Credit: Courtesy of Kova PR

  • Opinion: Is Annika all at sea?

    Opinion: Is Annika all at sea?

    Annika is either a TV crime drama, a crime drama spoof, or a comedy. I’m not sure exactly which. However you look at it, the BBC hit series is a contemporary take on the archetypal loner who tirelessly pursues justice, outwits the bad guys, no matter what the personal price. Nicola Walker plays the role of Detective Inspector Annika Strandhed, newly promoted and desperately trying to fit in and lead her team at the Marine Homicide Unit (MHU) based on the bonny, bonny banks of Scotland. Each episode conveniently races from corpse to conclusion in the space of 45 minutes. This is handy on a school night when you can’t afford to be awake at 3am trying to work out whodunnit.

    The creator, Nick Walker (no relation to Nicola Walker), and the screenwriters have carefully woven together several multi-layered story threads into each self-contained episode. The complex characters gradually unfold their individual back stories, and we get to know them bit by tiny bit. The cultural sub-plot is very much of the moment, though the dialogue is sometimes choppy and the script does seem to follow a formula. The crime drama scenario centres around a marine-based murder, usually committed by the least nasty person on screen, which is then cleverly solved. Red herrings notwithstanding, DI Annika, has her final show down with the culprit and the cuffs are on. But, as with so many police procedurals, this insightful competence is starkly contrasted by the flawed protagonist’s messy personal life and a crippling inability to solve very much of anything at all in that regard.

    Annika personifies that fashionable modern trend of always being switched ‘on’. Her head is all over the shop. She’s stressy, awkward, and never fully present in the moment. When she’s working, she over shares her personal troubles with her subordinates at every opportunity, they have no choice but to listen. When she’s with her 15-year-old daughter Morgan, who inevitably gets drawn into the saga, she seems mentally absent and still puzzling over the latest crime to be solved. When she’s enveloped by what has to be some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, Annika is stuck in her own head, mumbling musings from her mental archives.

    For good or ill, the screenwriters have employed a gimmick known as breaking the fourth wall, in which a character talks directly to camera. Remember Shirley Valentine talking to the wall, and the viewer? In that movie, another male writer, Willy Russell, took a stab at unpacking the inner workings of the female mind. I’m still working out how I feel about the integrity of that arrangement. These ‘asides’ certainly hold the viewer’s attention. Between dealing with brutally murdered corpses, Annika casually unpacks stories about her Nordic ancestors and encrypted snippets of her personal history. The viewer becomes a kind of imaginary friend or therapist. Though we’re not actually physically present in Annika’s fictional world, we’re recruited to be involved in helping to process her issues. The audience is asked not so much whodunnit, but rather, who is she?

    While the scenery, atmospheric music and production values are truly spectacular, the complex writing is thoroughly crafted and the characters are well developed, I was left feeling quite sad for Annika. She seems friendless, forlorn, desperately casting around to be liked and validated. And for all her career success she’s battling with that most modern ailment, a deep down loneliness and disconnection. I can’t figure out if Walker plays the socially awkward loner brilliantly, or if she’s just playing a parody of herself. Episode four suddenly shifts up into will-they-won’t-they gear, but before that there’s no evidence that Annika has any significant connections in her life. No Mum, sister, best friend, neighbour, romantic partner or community group. The effects of social isolation have been sort of normalised, perhaps even glamorised, on screen. Is this a brilliant work of art imitating life? Or an unhealthy invitation for life to imitate art?

    In a troubling reflection of the digital age in which we live, Annika simply sends her inner most thoughts out into the ether, reaching out to everyone, and ultimately no one. It’s a dysfunctional one-way relationship in which she controls the narrative while attempting to befriend the viewer. She’s wrestling with some big stuff, trying to figure out the way forward alone, without any wise counsel from friends. She’s married to the job so there’s just work, a saintly round-the-clock devotion to it, and not very much else. A lifestyle choice of self-medicating with alcohol, and drinking alone, is hinted at. In spite of all her cleverness, corny quips and crime case closures, Annika’s life is out of balance. She does not seem to be a happy bunny, and if I were her friend in real life, I would be really quite worried about her.

    Main Photo Credit: Val Fraser

  • TV: Taskmaster’s Greg Davies lines up comedy contestants

    TV: Taskmaster’s Greg Davies lines up comedy contestants

    As another victorious Taskmaster champion is crowned, a brand-new bunch of the nation’s best and brightest comic minds have been selected by the Taskmaster Greg Davies to compete in a series of his most tricksy tasks yet, while a watchful Little Alex Horne calmly observes and takes notes with admirable efficiency in the 16th series of the BAFTA winning and Emmy nominated global comedy juggernaut.

    Simultaneously bringing their A-Game and bracing themselves for the most bizarre show on television are; comedian, performer, and author Julian Clary (Friday Night Live, Channel 4), comedy actor, writer and stand-up Lucy Beaumont (Meet The Richardsons, Dave), multi-award winning stand-up Sam Campbell (Bloods, Sky), presenter, writer and comedian Sue Perkins (Perfectly Legal, Netflix), and actor, writer and director Susan Wokoma (Cheaters, BBC One). All five are vying to win points, prizes, and eternal glory in hope of winning the coveted golden trophy along with bragging rights as the Taskmaster Series 16 Champion.

    Elsewhere, it has recently been announced that BAFTA nominated comedian, writer, and actor Rose Matafeo, and critically-acclaimed writer and performer Mike Wozniak have been confirmed to host and star in Channel 4’s brand new children-focused entertainment show Junior Taskmaster, with Matafeo assuming the role of the mighty Junior Taskmaster and Wozniak as her loyal Assistant, the show has recently been commissioned following the continuing success of ratings and critical hit Taskmaster.

    Taskmaster is produced by Avalon and Executive Producers for the series are Alex Horne, Richard Allen-Turner, Rob Aslett, James Taylor, Jon Thoday and Andy Devonshire who also acts as Series Director, while Andy Cartwright will also continue as Series Producer. Taskmaster is commissioned for Channel 4 by Tom Beck, Head of Live Events and Commissioning Editor, Entertainment, with Phil Harris, Head of Entertainment and Events.

  • TV: Not Going Out returns for new series

    TV: Not Going Out returns for new series

    Lee Mack’s multi-award-winning hit show, and longest running sitcom on air, returns for a new series on BBC One this June.

    We return to the suburban chaos of Lee (Lee Mack) and Lucy (Sally Bretton) as they’re asked to cover for uptight ice-queen Anna (Abigail Cruttenden) as she allegedly attends ‘secret’ Italian lessons. Lee is immediately convinced Anna is up to no good and, having to lie to his best friend Toby (Hugh Dennis), is not-so-slowly spiralling into an anxious mess. As ever when there’s a delicate situation that needs sensitive handling, Lee could approach it cautiously … or go full sleuth in a bid to personally crack the case!

    The series continues around the anarchy of a packed family life with the couple crashing from one near-disaster to the next (see episode synopses below). Usually close at hand are Lucy’s lovely mum Wendy (Deborah Grant) and curmudgeonly dad Geoffrey (Geoffrey Whitehead), and we know very well what they think about their daughter’s wisecracking husband.

    Produced by Avalon, Not Going Out is directed by Nick Wood and produced by Jamie Rix. The Executive Producers are Richard Allen-Turner, Rob Aslett, Lee Mack and Jon Thoday. The Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Gregor Sharp.

  • Film: Sir Cliff Richard says “don’t miss” Jesus Revolution movie

    A British PR company run by Christians has bought the rights to the hit film Jesus Revolution. It is being released into UK and Irish cinemas from June 23rd and is highly anticipated. This film tells the story of revival in California in the 1970s and the key message is that church is for everyone. A spokesperson for Kova PR explained to Sorted Magazine: “We would love to see people far and wide hearing about the film’s powerful message and how the real story impacted our faith and worship music to this day.”

    “The UK church (in all its denominations and expressions) needs to get behind this message. When released in America, Jesus Revolution doubled box office estimates. We need to show cinemas here that there is demand for faith films in mainstream cinema. Getting faith films into UK cinemas is an uphill battle. We need your prayers that God would open doors by His power and for His glory. There are loads of options, from showing the trailer in your churches, to attending a key leader screening, to ticket giveaways and discount bookings and sharing on your social media. We can help, get in touch!” The UK website jesusrevolutionmovie.co.uk will be taking group bookings very soon.

    Sir Cliff Richard has thrilled his fans with a special facebook video announcement about Jesus Revolution. He said: “Don’t miss it!” Since posting there have been thousands of likes from his 300K strong Facebook following. Watch Sir Cliff’s video here