Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 30 July 2023

Pat O said:

Piano. Church organ (a really big one played by a really good organist in a huge cathedral!). Oboe. Cello..

Have you ever seen Elton John in concert?  He is fantastic on the piano, to the point of being able to lay underneath one while still playing.

Piano!!

Sorry, Clare, I'm afraid my musical appreciation ends firmly in the nineteenth century, with very few exceptions which I have to say do not include Elton John! Apologies ...

Clare: I think I mentioned that UK niece said Elton John was fantastic at this year's Glastonbury. I also liked Chuck Leveall (Eric Clapton on Unplugged) and I seem to remember Bill Evans too (from decades ago)...

PatO: Big organs with fab choirs in a huge cathedral! Love it.

Annette - Yes. I was very fortunate indeed to be a member, for about ten years, of a choir which travelled around to UK cathedrals singing the services when their own choirs were on holiday or travelling. It was an amazing privilege and a fantastic opportunity to hear and participate in wonderful choral music in amazing places. Sadly my singing voice has now disappeared, but when I listen to things I have sung, I can still hear every note in my head - and I didn't (often!) sing the tune! And I have a very long list of happy memories in fantastic places. We travelled with our own organist - not always the same person, but always the pick of the best. So yes, big organs in huge cathedrals - and of course we were a fab choir!

PatO: I don't doubt your fabness. :-)

A new week and we are hoping things will be a bit more normal – whatever that is! The cleaners came today and began with the usual moan about the wet weather from one of them – I told her that if we didn’t have rain, there would be no vegetables and no grass for the cows making milk – she said she could manage very well without either! She probably lives on chocolates and prosecco!

People who asked about the thing on Sunday – I really can’t go into details, but it certainly wasn’t for the children, and they didn’t include them in the prancing about on stage! I suppose I am really saying “it isn’t like it used to be” – so I am just showing my age!

AQ – one of my favourite instruments is the French Horn, but others come close! Have you ever seen/heard the guy with no arms who plays the horn with his left foot – I think he will be on the proms at the Albert Hall and on the BBC tomorrow night.

HEATHER – congrats on the new Great Grandbaby – when is it due? I suppose co-parenting is one way to include both families in it’s life. I know that I am very intolerant of a lot of rubbish going on in the world today, so I do open my mouth inappropriately at times! I believe in “say what you see”!

I am surprised so may folk favour the piano over “real” instruments – I think of the piano as percussion, and prefer instruments where people make the notes – also easier to sing to them as they match the human voice. I hardly ever listen to music these days, although I was involved in music for much of my life.

Garden birds are thriving – Crows are now 3 regulars and Mr Greenfinch is definitely added to the “frequent visitors” list.

Piano as a percussion instrument? Tell that to Benjamin Grosvenor or Isata Kanneh-Mason!

Unknown said:

I am surprised so may folk favour the piano over “real” instruments – I think of the piano as percussion, and prefer instruments where people make the notes – also easier to sing to them as they match the human voice. I hardly ever listen to music these days, although I was involved in music for much of my life.

Pianos are surprisingly adaptable - I don't remotely think of them as percussion, even though I've heard them played in a way that suggests percussion.  I can think of all sorts of different artists who have used the piano to great effect - not just people like Elton John and Billy Joel, but Queen, Guns and Roses, the Boomtown Rats ..... all of them have released stuff where the piano is prominent.  I think it's a worthwhile instrument.