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 […]
Yui
Yui stylized as YUI or yui, is a Japanese singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actress. Born and raised in Fukuoka prefecture, she played live at various locations in her hometown before being noticed by Sony Music when she was 17 years old, and released her debut single months later. Her singles, however, were only met with moderate […]
The Full English
During this period of COVID-19 unpleasantness, many of us are not able to visiting our favourite waterholes, especially to avail ourselves of that pinnacle of British cuisine – The Full English – so I thought I would bring you a musical feast to assuage the pangs. The Full English launched in 2013 and is an […]
Pachelbel’s Canon – A Miscellany
Today we are going share a miscellany of approaches to one of the most popular pieces of classical music. It is No. 32 on Classic FM’s list of favourite pieces. Pachelbel’s Canon is an accompanied canon by the German Baroque composer Johann Pachelbel in his Canon and Gigue for 3 violins and basso continuo. It […]
Siouxsie and the Banshees
Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British band, formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. Initially associated with the punk scene, the band rapidly evolved to create “a form of post-punk discord full of daring […]