A Lark Ascending

Despite being pigeon-holed as an 'English' composer Delius' interests were much more continental. Initially Scandinavia, Germany, then France. He always sounds English to me but he always seems the closest to Debussy. There's that same sense of music in constant flux, themes appearing and then never (on the surface) reappearing. You don't get the musical structure showing through - with RVW or Elgar in their major pieces you are very aware of things like sonata form showing through; with Delius that's disguised. His mature music always seems somewhat otherworldly. ********** On another tack, there's a snippet in the new BBC Music Magazine about a recent 'favourite classical works' survey done in Australia. Elgar Cello Concerto at 1, The Planets at 2 and The Lark Ascending at 4. Seems like there's still a bit of nostalgia for the land of the forefathers (well forefathers of some!).

'The Lark Ascending' programme was a bit frothy...cameras trained on Diana Rigg being spiritually transported by music good TV does not make. Really enjoyed 'The Passions of Vaughan Williams' - nothing new but still brought to the fore some pieces I'd not paid much attention to - 'Dona Nobis Pacem' and the 'Three Shakespeare Songs'. ****************** Ken Russell's famous 'Song of Summer' about Delius has snuck into the BBC4 schedules, out of sight - Tuesday 24th at 11.00 pm.: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01b66rs Not sure I've ever seen this. A new film has also been commissioned by BBC4: http://www.c21media.net/archives/74960 The current Gramophone has Delius as its cover celebrity with an extensive feature inside playing up his international stature. There's also a rebroadcast of a film about Britten and children (Friday 7.30): http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074rwp More unsettling, I suspect. **************** And, in a different genre, a three parter called 'How the Brits Rocked America' - the various British Invasions that made up for Yorktown: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01b4x9g God Save BBC4 (can we send the money earmarked for a new royal yacht there, please?) - stored on the recorder these should keep me going for a few weeks.

Yup, he played with Sting. Look it up. Sorry, sir! So he did. And I have the record!

Yo Yo Ma! Kiri Te Kanawa! Sting! (someone's going to tell me he did play with Sting!)

Two alphorns...one broom!

Ian Carr! Especially around 1970.

BBC Radio 3 (the hardcore classical station) just playing 'At Last' in tribute, between Mendelssohn and Beethoven!

One of the last Bley albums that I really warm to. I think it's partially that 'theatre' influence (a strong Weill/Brecht feel)- along with the influences/musicians from the free scene - that makes her earlier music so distinctive. Towards the end of the 70s her music, to my ears, starts to sound much more in the American tradition. The quirkiness sounds more mannered.

Be interesting to hear the Miles of c. 1969 in a duo with the Eberhard Weber of c. 1973. With or without a shimmering electric piano coloured band.

Lenin looks like he needs Dizzy's spectacles.

So where does he put the gramophone and the precious selection of discs?

Given what they're doing to the pension age at present, I doubt if you are safe from conscription anymore.

How about the hardcore acts like The Wurzels and The Yetties (not to mention Jethro ) Pam Ayres is Oxford I think so 'A Northerner' (ie. anyone North of Shepton Mallet) I always think of Devon as the Midlands.

It was a reaction to the hold on British culture of middle class, middle aged and southern. Instead, the counter culture of the sixties preferred working class, young and northern. Time for lumpen-proletarian, long in the tooth and south-western to hit the Zeitgeist, then. Though this might have already happened with Acker Bilk and Pam Ayres.

You so crazy! Just olde worlde scepticism. We remember lossless from the last time it came round (the Renaissance, I think).

Lossless files sound better if you put them in the freezer for an hour before listening. It also helps to reverse their polarity.

In the mid-70s whilst at uni I used to travel to Germany where my parents were based in the holidays. Unable to be without music, I'd carry an LP case with 50 odd LPs (and a case with one change of clothes! Priorities!). The ability to carry hours of music in my pocket is remarkable.

That's what I've been doing for a few years now. Though I always buy mp3 unless it is only available on CD. I can't tell the difference between mp3 and CD. Or Stork and butter. The one irritation is that some continuous pieces divided into several mp3s don't join up seamlessly - more of a problem in classical. It'd becoming less of a problem but I occasionally still hit it. Chandos seem particularly prone.

Our usual habit of recalling the past based on the fragments that endured. Be intriguing to hear TOTPs from 1776. Bet it wasn't all Haydn and Mozart.

Coming up on Friday on BBC 4 (a welcome relief from all of those Top of the Pops reruns): "The Lark Ascending" (7.30 p.m.) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b019c9t9 Sadly, celebrity guided. And then a repeat of 'The Passions of Vaughan Williams': http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00bfmt4 Missed that one first time. For contrast you get REM at the Beeb straight afterwards.

Three soloists, not one. In a way Azimuth is the soloist. Both superb.

John Surman featured throughout.

Just arrived in the Saturday night Scandinavian slot. Political drama - very impressive. Rumour has it that the BBC is now cancelling all future domestic productions, returning all the US stuff and allowing the Danes to take over the airwaves. Completing what they left off from in the early 11thC.