A seventh-century book that lay buried in a saint's coffin for hundreds of years has been saved for the nation.

"It's been a long time coming," says Ms. Lauryn 
Hill, as she appears on the IndigO2 stage to the sold-out crowd.

Former denizen of Brooklyn indie girl groups such as Vivian Girls and Crystal Stilts, Frankie Rose has stepped out on her own and come up with a surprise delight: an enchanting dream-pop album steeped in her multi-tracked harmonies.

The Jayhawks are one the great unsung American bands of the 20 century. Gary Louris and Mark Olson, the chief songwriters and mainstays of this sensational country-rock act, are comparable to Squeeze luminaries Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford, only without the hits and acclaim.

Michael Kiwanuka continues the folk-soul tradition of Bill Withers and Terry Callier on this debut album. Sensitively produced by The Bees' Paul Butler, it's a pleasant enough handful of easy-going songs, in which the focus on warmth has left them lacking bite.

You can see what he's driving at: a muscular response to the rapine of the have-nots by the haves of this world. The gun in the drawer, the hanging on to love, the big beat... These are the colours of Springsteen's heart: the blue collar, the red mist, the need for green.

Stevie Wonder leads tributes to a troubled star as 1,000 mourners cram New Jersey church where the singer trained her voice

Following their Bach Motets, choral octet Voces8 branch further afield with A Choral Tapestry, programming devotional material from across the spectrum.

The Boss still fired up by demolition of American dream

Theatre: I try to go to the theatre as much as possible. I saw 'The Ladykillers' at London's Gielgud Theatre, which was hilarious. The run has been extended because it has been so popular. It was some of the best stage acting I have seen, with a very clever set.

The parishioners of Uplyme in Devon are sticklers for yuletide tradition: get up, turkey in the oven, glass of Buck's Fizz, open the presents... then it's off to church through the morning mist to listen to the human beatboxing vicar.

Marking 25 years of the musical partnership between guitarist Skip McDonald and producer Adrian Sherwood, If You Want Loyalty Buy a Dog is a textbook Little Axe album, stuffed with dub-blues grooves that manage to be soothing yet unsettling.

Marking 25 years of the musical partnership between guitarist Skip McDonald and producer Adrian Sherwood, If You Want Loyalty Buy A Dog is a textbook Little Axe album, stuffed with dub-blues grooves that manage to be simultaneously soothing yet unsettling.