27 March 2020
Thomas Beecham is quoted as saying, “The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought”. Churchill Music is aiming to following this notion. We may not be able to bring you our live concerts which add so much to our social calendars, but in these interesting/life changing times, we give you a few musical offerings to uplift (we hope) and release you from the ‘tyranny of those conscious thoughts’!!
We know that many of you will be listening to BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. Many of you also know about the orchestras that have recorded their own concerts and are releasing them on the internet to help us all through. We will bring you more news about this ere long.
Here in Churchill Music we have our own ideas to ensure that you do not have to endure the cultural starvation that our live concerts would normally alleviate!
Each week we are putting together a few suggested works, interesting videos, the odd quotation and even a little musical joke or two to assuage your cultural hunger!
Without further ado, here is the first instalment.
- Start the day with just 4 minutes listening to the Overture to Mozart’s ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp6UAGN_Ir4 – guaranteed to get you going.
- For that moment during the day when the media is full of the dreaded word and little else – Leonard Bernstein’s fascinating video ‘Teaching and teachers – an autobiographical essay’ is well worth a listen (57 mins). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m7Ky4VtNIU The delight of Youtube videos like this one is that if the phone rings, you can pause and go back to him later!
- Just need a short burst of something a little different? Dip into Beethoven (appropriate in this 250th anniversary year of his birth) – Peter Hewitt who many may remember was the fabulous pianist who performed for Churchill Music when he accompanied Tim Hurst-Brown for their ‘The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan’. Peter has very kindly performing a series of short youtube recordings. He starts with a little lesser known Scherzo from Beethoven’s piano sonata Op.27 no.1. His informative preamble allows us to gain a greater understanding of the work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAyXjuYzXoY&feature=youtu.be
- Just need to smile? We recommend – Russlan & Ludmilla (Overture) – Glinka https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nyx99YcHdIQ
or on a lighter note, Victor Borge – that famous Danish pianist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtDX1Vl-Jxk - End of day/calming suggestion what could be better than good ol’ Chopin’s Nocturne No. 2 in E flat Major, Op. 9.2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVeOdm-29pU
- Singing is a wonderful tonic. In the comfort and privacy of our own homes, we can all have a go! I have been sent the following link to a virtual rehearsal of the International Opera Choir singing G Verdi’s Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves! uplifting in itself, and although not a fan of karaoke great fun to have a go at singing along with them – or at least humming!
- Link to the virtual rehearsal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTVXEGIS3LE&feature=youtu.be
- words to sing along with them: https://www.google.com/search?q=words+of+the+chorus+of+the+hebrew+slaves&oq=Words+&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j46j0l4.3239j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
- Link to the virtual rehearsal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTVXEGIS3LE&feature=youtu.be
And finally a little humour from one of our Champions (Please keep sending in your music jokes/ideas/works that you would like to share):
Overheard during the supper interval at Glyndebourne during a performance of Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier:
“Who’s the composer?” “Mozart of course, dear. You can tell by the costumes.”
On that delightful ‘note’ (oh what a dreadful pun) keep happy, healthy and at home!