Ghost Music
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Author
Alice McVeigh
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4.99
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(This is the second edition of GHOST MUSIC, which was originally published by Orion/Hachette. In August 2024 this version won the Gold Medal for literary fiction in the Global ebooks Awards.)
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A standalone sequel to the bestselling WHILE THE MUSIC LASTS, this novel was inspired by McVeigh’s fifteen years of touring on four continents with London orchestras including the BBC Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique etc.
"McVeigh defines an orchestra as ‘a combination of the unlikely and the insufferable, attempting the impossible.’ The same may be said of her novel, which smoothly harmonizes disparate themes and perspectives. Sexy and satirical, the narrative captivatingly chronicles personal politics and the world of music, both ghostly and otherwise." - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
GHOST MUSIC finds the fictional Orchestra of London beset by difficulties. Zimetski, their fiery Polish conductor, drives musicians simultaneously to greater performances and personal desperation, while Pete, the orchestral manager, attempts damage control...
William Mellor, a cellist, buys an antique cello at auction only to discover that it has supernatural qualities. A mysterious young woman then joins the orchestra, captivates the conductor and attempts to captivate William, who's struggling to get back together with his estranged wife. In the end, no force, whether earthly or otherwise, can keep William from confronting the cello’s true nature – as well as his own.
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“McVeigh holds nothing back in her account of the backstage life of an orchestra. Although there is no overriding voice, orchestra manager Pete Hegal emerges as the reader's friend. A disillusioned violinist, Pete speaks with McVeigh's wry perception... The tempo rises on the Royal Sinfonia's Greek tour: a musical world that many see as staid and disciplined is turned upside down by McVeigh. The Last Night of the Proms will never seem the same again.” - The Yorkshire Post
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“Wonderful!--even better than your first novel. And even more true!” - Vladimir Ashkenazy, Letter to Alice McVeigh
“Ever wondered what goes on in the backstage life of a symphony orchestra? This racy novel was written by someone who knows.” The Daily Mail
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