I have never been a great fan of the ‘pipes’ as they are usually associated with the Scottish Bagpipe Bands playing versions of Amazing Grace. However I have recently come across the music of the so called ‘Goddesses of Bagpipes’ who have made me re-evaluate my opinion. So let’s begin with them playing together their […]
Spencer Davis
It was announced yesterday that Spencer Davis had died of pneumonia at the age of 81. I thought it might be appropriate to remember him and his contribution to music in the mid-1960’s. Davis was born in Swansea in July 1939. He began learning to play harmonica and accordion at the age of six. He […]
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk (lit. “power station”) is a German band formed in Dusseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered as innovators and pioneers of electronic music, they were among the first successful acts to popularize the genre. The group began as part of West Germany’s experimental krautrock scene in the early 1970s before […]
The House of the Rising Sun
“The House of the Rising Sun” is a traditional folk song, sometimes called “Rising Sun Blues“. It tells of a person’s life gone wrong in the city of New Orleans; many versions also urge a sibling or parents and children to avoid the same fate. Like many classic folk ballads, “The House of the Rising […]
Missa Luba
In 1968, the movies came to Cheltenham in the shape of Lindsay Anderson’s film If… starring Malcolm McDowell. It was set in Cheltenham College and my friend Shirley was one of the extras. The soundtrack of the movie featured the Sanctus from a setting of the mass from the Democratic Republic of Congo performed by […]
Rodrigo – Concierto De Aranjuez (Adagio)
Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre, 1st Marquess of the Gardens of Aranjuez, was born in Sagunto (Valencia), and completely lost his sight at the age of three after contracting diphtheria. He began to study piano and violin at the age of eight; harmony and composition from the age of 16. Although distinguished by having raised the Spanish […]
Wagakki Band
The blog returns with a bang after our short break in the West Country. Today we feature the Wagakki Band from Japan. They are a group of musicians who play rock music on traditional japanese instruments (Wagakki). Singer Suzuhana Yuko (who had been elected Miss Nico Nama in 2011), shakuhachi player (wooden flute) Kaminaga Daisuke, […]
A Little List
Usually on a Monday, Katy provides me with a list of suggested tasks for the week. This I attempt to complete by Friday (well at least I have a go at it!). This put me in mind of the song ‘I’ve Got A Little List’ from the Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan. Koko, a cheap […]
Ave Maria – Choose Your Favourite Version
It being Sunday, it’s time for something spiritual to feed the soul. So how about that staple of the classical repertoire – Ave Maria. We will be looking at a variety of versions and providing you with an opportunity to choose your favourite. We shall approach this task chronologically. Schubert wrote a piece in 1825, […]
Jenny O’Connor and Circa Paleo
This is going to be one of the more difficult post that I have tried to write, mainly because there is very little information about the people involved extant on the internet, which is to me a great surprise – but we must make the best of it because the legacy of their music needs […]