A Lark Ascending

Bass – Harry Miller Bass, Tuba – Peter Kowald ...and two of everything else too.

I was in a choir briefly at 11. Remember doing 'And the Glory of the Lord' from Messiah. I changed school and was too shy to ask to join the new one. Regret that. Probably one reason choral music seems less intimidating than orchestral music (or chamber music!) is that it can allow those of little or no musical experience to join in. I'm sure you'd quickly get a much deeper appreciation of the different lines of the music. They only thing that scares me is a) they won't let me into choirs with music I'd enjoy singing as I can't read music (or sing, come to that [or speak Glagolitic]!) and b) the choirs they might let me into will want to sing choral versions of Coldplay songs! Nothing wrong with that but it doesn't do it for me.

A couple off the beaten track: There's a lengthy choral tradition in the UK - a bit like brass bands, it had a general popularity rather than being the preserve of the posh. As a result there's an enormous amount of English choral music. It can be somewhat lumpen. But these two discs are rather different - the first is almost an English 'Glagolitic Mass' with large forces and a strange Greek text. The second is very sparing in instrumentation with some absolutely gorgeous, translucent writing. You could do worse than checking out Stephen Layton and Polyphony on Hyperion - a huge range of choral music with a lot of contemporary writing from Britain, the Baltic and America. Again, a lot of this is written for current performance rather than posterity and so has quite a wide following. Some of it might be a bit too sweet and tonal for advanced ears; but after being rather anti- it for a long time it's sucked me in over the last few years. This is a gorgeous disc: 'O Magnum Mysterium' stops me dead every time. Worth checking out the piece on YouTube.

That Stravinsky is marvellous - don't know the Boulanger. One to check out. I love this: Again, there are much more recent versions and an historic original Britten/Pears one. Despite have read about and taught countless lessons on WWI and taken trips to the battlefields I'd never really had the patience for the poetry of the war (just my lack of patience with poetry) - this piece illuminated the poems that make up the soloist parts (the choral sections are the Latin Mass). An obvious choice which I play at least once a year: This is utterly amazing: I once sat listening to the whole thing on a CD walkman on a bench in Venice itself! And then there's Bach...which you could take a lifetime exploring. Another one that has become an annual ritual at Easter:

This is one of my favourites: I didn't know Janacek from Jam Doughnuts when I saw a Proms performance c. 1976 and it blew my socks off. There are lots of more modern performances but this one was the one I've lived with.

Not sure if that's smug or haughty. And a zillion other classical releases, especially the 'historic' ones.

Balakirev - Symphony 1. Tremendous Scherzo whipping up into a marvellous peasant dance.

Still, better than a penchant for small birds known for melodious song while in flight. Relish the tongues, preserved in aspic.

I'm susceptible enough to the capitalist model to require ownership of a piece; but not to require multiple versions based on minor differences or inbuilt obsolescence.

I'm happy to hear a piece in umpteen different versions - radio, concert etc. But I never feel the need to own more than one (in most cases) or two (where I'm looking for a more modern version). Finland intrigues me - partly because Sibelius was what grabbed me in classical music in the beginning and I've found its contemporary classical music varied and interesting; but also because it has a fabulous folk tradition. Sweden and Finland tend to dominate that part of the world in folky terms. I envy your visit to Finland - somewhere I'd love to visit.

Tesco has a special offer this week on petrol, diesel and hamburgers. Only fuels and horses qualify. Ho! Ho! (Or should that be Nay! Nay!) [i'm a great fan of the farming news on Radio 4 early in the morning but at present it's absolutely electric!].

I didn't think I was going to enjoy 'Capital' after a few chapters - not keen on books where the tale almost starts again chapter after a chapter as new characters appear. But I'm gripped now. Really want to see Roger and Amanda get their come-uppance!

Horse. We eat a lot of it in the UK (it seems).

DTS

I know nothing about this composer or the label (which is Finnish and has been around around 20 years). Just noticed this recording in a Gramophone advert (oh the power of advertising) and liked the cover! Sometimes it's good to just jump in and see (no danger then of being swayed by orthodox critical opinion) - that's what a lot of my early listening was like. The only evidence I have of the music is a company review (in translation, making its claims sound even stranger!) which makes a contemporary with Ravel reference. I don't know Orango, but Shosty 4 is pretty amazing. The one that got him into hot water with the authorities. Very Mahlerian. On a completely unrelated note, BBC Radio 3's CD Review programme this morning compared two recent Leningrads - one by Gergeiv (which got a thumbs down) and one by Nelsons (big thumbs up). I don't need another Leningrad (my Haitink from the 80s suits me fine) but it was good to hear the symphony itself getting such a spirited defence, especially the two central movements. It's always been a favourite of mine.

Good to see music like that coming out. I have a few of the Chandos Gerhard orchestral series - I've yet to really make sense of them. But has to beat another Beethoven cycle...or another 'historic' Beethoven cycle!...

But he then segued effortlessly into a track with Shorter! Enjoyed everything so far.

The Scherzo in Mahler 5 is very unusual and quite magical. Seems to veer between Viennese schmaltz (I like Viennese schmalz) and stretches that are cool and transparent. Great momentum throughout.

I'm not sure if the middle movement of Mahler 5 was intended as night music, but listening to it last night it had that serenade-like feel. The following Adagietto also sounds like night-tryst music (although I have Dirk Bogarde being rowed round daylight Venice lodged in my mind). The last movement certainly sounds like the brash return of day. Act II of Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg also has some glorious night music (interrupted by a brawl!).

Henze - Fantasia for Strings Played this today. Another beautiful string piece. Mainly slow and mournful but more upbeat, Stravinsky-esque central and final sections to provide contrast. The Air-Pastorale-Air section sounds quite English! Beautiful return to the mournful for the ending. Part of it was used in 'The Exorcist', it seems,

Richard Thompson for the zillionth time next Saturday. Mark Lockheart doing his "Ellington in Anticipation" thing the week after - I hope! Various marbles got in the way of the first three Sheffield Jazz concerts I had planned in the last 6 weeks.

surreal experience Van Morrison always was a bit odd.

"The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' off the Charlie Haden/Pat Metheny 'Beyond the Missouri Sky'. Haunting tune, played here to perfection, every note choice spot on. Has sent me in search of other mistresses.

I don't suppose this will fit under 'greatest' but it's one I don't think has ever been on CD and I'd like to hear it: Could get a 'rubbish cover' award though.

The perfect music to say goodbye to those whiskers: I could probably get a Ryanair flight to Seville, have a trim and return for that price.