And Now For Something Completely Different By Walrus.

I am an occasional devotee of music with somewhat eclectic taste. As a child I sang in a reasonably well trained choir - well enough to be offered a scholarship.

My tastes have moved past the sublime Mozart towards Mahler (a distant relative) and on to the British composers; Elgar and later Vaughan Williams. Once you get past the jingoistic popularities there are hidden gems.

I commend what I consider to be one to you: Vaughan Williams “A Sea Symphony” (1909) - inspired by American Poet Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” (1855).

The link below is to a Youtube video of the BBC Proms performance (2013) with a stunning choir including the Halle and orchestra conducted by Sakari Oramo with Roderick Williams and Sally Mathews soloists.

If anything it should convince you that genius is not a new phenomenon and perhaps give you some enjoyment in these dark times. I would be overjoyed if it provoked musical exploration at SST.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp4G5vtdSWc

Comments

[Fred]

Walrus,

Here's my submission, something from down under that is appropriate to our times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEwDx8YJndU&feature=emb_rel_pause

[Bird Lives]

Walrus, Salute !

Yes, time for sanity, and beauty !

My small contributions to both:

Stick with these, they have long intros that set the theme, the improvisation is the key: slow relaxed and in the groove:

Misterioso
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oHjXTZO33g

Japanese Folk Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-Q_AGKtvJg

Pannonica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8PHk1aA8Uo

[turcopolier]

All

I have added a new category - Music for those so inclined.

[Diana Croissant]

I had little planned today. You caught my attention with the mention of Whitman. I loved what we called at the time I majored in Englsh, the American Renaissance, of which Whitman was included. I loved "Leaves of Grass" then and still do.

(For those interested in the Civil War, Whitman spent much time serving as a hospital worker/nurse carrying for the wounded.)

I am so happy I took your suggestion and listened to the entire perromance. It was inspiring. I wish I could have actually been in the audience.

[Keith Harbaugh]

Some suggested YouTube playlists:

Western civ: a long (90+) playlist sampling mainly choral Christian music 1600-1870
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6WIWapSWYkfM5buYg5d8vmAxNXkQBYgN

Bach cantata favorites
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6WIWapSWYkeIvAZIflZMWXpNu51T1cPY

Handel Chandos anthems
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLblQ3ofZwdk1qzrD0zrh8OTBoUPQhHeQn
These are set to texts from the Psalms, so should appeal to both Christians and Jews.
In any case, incredibly beautiful.

[mcohen]

Henry David Thoreau Quotes
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.

[Keith Harbaugh]

Oh and one other:

If you like the music of Ennio Morricone written for the "spaghetti Westerns", you will probably like this:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL31B05F0E53E21A8D

[Edgar David Grana]

Ah! Walrus may I offer my requiem mass I wrote with Kurt Vonnegut and produced by Michael Brecker. I was an outlier at Juilliard when I got my masters there. I was 35 when I entered the master's program. I accrued the wrath of the classical establishment but finished the requiem project no matter. It is now recorded on Newport Classic which remained in the top 20 worldwide for indie vocal and opera. Here is a Youtube clip I put together highlighting the journey I took to get it produced and out there.
Edgar David Grana
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evn2CAavGE8&t=88s

[Vegetius]

The notorious thoughtcriminal Jonathan Bowden lectured on Elgar (among others).

These talks are usually available on youtube although mass-reporting my Marxists tends to get them taken down sooner or later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OWpJKa9kYI

[Jack]

Walrus,

I’m not sure if you have heard English composer John Taverner. Beautiful compositions. Here’s a taste.

https://youtu.be/xT0MF4XNjkA

As an amateur woodwinds player I am a big fan of jazz, the quintessential American music. One of my favorites is trumpeter Lee Morgan.

https://youtu.be/9Nda3h7d3SA

[J]

Walrus,

Off topic

What's the latest on the Melbourne lockdown?

Take a gander at this:
https://summit.news/2020/08/03/melbourne-lockdown-police-can-enter-homes-without-a-warrant-to-carry-out-spot-checks/

Thanks for the music interlude.

[A.I.S.]

I for one am a pretty big fan of Sabaton.
I realize that military history metal may not be every ones cup of tea, but I really like this one (in swedish):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDKB4kT3o1w

And this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2f7y60Q_HY

Also, if you ever wondered how quite a lot of songs would sound in Russian:
such as Rammstein:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHAsg2k7iI8
or the offspring https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBAmXbPfvck
or Nirvana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9RY25eImcw

Rammstein in Russian is pretty cool.

Also, Tapok did so many Sabaton Covers they teamed up for a live tour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl9cpuXXx8Y
Events behind this song are a pretty good "dont invade Russia 101" in a nutshell.

[Fred]

J,

What's Magna Carter and the golden thread that runs through English Common Law?

"“We can no longer have people simply out and about for no good reason whatsoever.”"

Sounds like Congresswoman Debbie Dingell talking. Government will keep out rights in a lockbox, like Al Gore promised to do with Social Security. We'll get 'permission' to exercise them, maybe, someday.

[Bill H]

I had never experienced the sound of an "electric violin" before, and as a lover of the classics thought that such a thing would horrify me. It did just the opposite. This young lady had many YouTube presentations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Buu5AgGnUzk

[Dabbler]

“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music“

Nietzche

[Keith Harbaugh]

On a lighter note, the soprano Sally Matthews (the soprano soloist in "A Sea Symphony") presents a decidedly less staid side of her repertoire in
https://youtu.be/YjtbGmJscJU?t=1h04m20s ,
in a scene from Handel's very last Italian opera, Dedamia.

See also one of her scenes in Mozart's "Cosi fan Tutte."
https://youtu.be/WqMLqiq8oOs

[blue peacock]

Music inspired by Appalachia

https://youtu.be/Ignhso0iv9U