Essential Classics - The Continuing Debate

[french frank]

Hmm. Essential Classics today had Les compagnons de la chanson singing The Jimmy Brown Song, and Randy Newman.

The title Essential Classics always seemed naff and meaningless. Other than seeming to say: 'Start here on your exciting journey learning about classical music' ....

If this were a live stage show people would be shouting Geroff! and throwing rotten vegetables.

[Don Petter]

Hmm. Essential Classics today had Les compagnons de la chanson singing The Jimmy Brown Song, and Randy Newman.

Now, don't be nasty about The Singing Toadstools!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Now, don't be nasty about The Singing Toadstools!

Every one of them a fun guy.

[Richard Tarleton]

Hmm. Essential Classics today had Les compagnons de la chanson singing The Jimmy Brown Song

No idea why I should remember this, but the Jimmy Brown Song was also chosen by Arthur Negus when he was a guest on Desert Island Discs. I looked up the archive to check, and see it was also chosen by Glynis Johns, and Stewart Granger. One for the Forum pub quiz.

By coincidence I have just been reading Bill Oddie's "Gripping Yarns", given to me for my birthday, a collection of his columns from "Birdwatch" magazine. "Grip" in birding parlance is to see something rare which others then attempt but fail to see, hence "Gripping them off". There is quite a lot more arcane birding parlance which hopefully Bill will have a chance to share with us before the week is out

[Serial_Apologist]

Every one of them a fun guy.

But none of them leaving mushroom for anyone else.

[Suffolkcoastal]

I used to do a fair amout of Bird Watching but found it dominated by cliques each dominated by self-appointed experts, who get very jealous and thoroughly unpleasant if they don't see the rarities. Anyreports you put in are immediately discarded if the 'experts' haven't seen them first. I did enjoy when one of the self-appointed experts misindentified a very common bird as an exotic rarity. I ended up just bird watching on my own and seeing a number of rarities (including the only British occurence of a Black Woodpecker) and keeping them to myself!

[Richard Tarleton]

I used to do a fair amout of Bird Watching but found it dominated by cliques each dominated by self-appointed experts, who get very jealous and thoroughly unpleasant if they don't see the rarities. Anyreports you put in are immediately discarded if the 'experts' haven't seen them first. I did enjoy when one of the self-appointed experts misindentified a very common bird as an exotic rarity. I ended up just bird watching on my own and seeing a number of rarities (including the only British occurence of a Black Woodpecker) and keeping them to myself!

Technology and the internet have changed birding considerably - the main hub for information in your part of the world as I'm sure you know SC used to be Nancy's Café in Cley, now it's the internet. And photos of rarities tend to get disseminated almost immediately, with records committees requiring photos instead of dodgy drawings . More jargon - "stringing" - trying to turn something ordinary into a rarity You couldn't wish for a nicer bunch than the birding community hereabouts, or where I used to live for that matter....

[DracoM]

What I keeps coming back to me - and this morning's playing of Pachelbels' Canon helpfully reminded me - was how on earth can / dare Rob Cowan sit at that desk and let all this happen?

He has been part of some of the very best a.m. scheduling for decades eg CD Masters, yet here he is presiding over Noddy at the Turntables. How he does not scream and walk out in the middle of the programme I do not know. Has he no dignity? No sense of what R3 ought to be doing? Or does he just shrug - 'just a DJing job, mate! Get over it.'

[mercia]

that might be someone's first hearing of Pachelbel's Canon - everybody should be allowed to hear it once

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I feel a bit sorry for the Radio 3 presenters in that they probably have a "take it or leave it" instruction by the management:

"Be chummy and patronising, or get out."

They could opt for the latter, in the knowledge that some eager-beever will fill their shoes in an instant.

[french frank]

that might be someone's first hearing of Pachelbel's Canon - everybody should be allowed to hear it once

But since it's possible that there will be listeners, every day, who haven't yet heard it, logically it should be played every day.

[mercia]

But since it's possible that there will be listeners, every day, who haven't yet heard it, logically it should be played every day.

I shall forward your suggestion to the relevant department

[Sir Velo]

I feel a bit sorry for the Radio 3 presenters in that they probably have a "take it or leave it" instruction by the management:

"Be chummy and patronising, or get out."

Ah yes, the "I was only following orders" line...

[Sir Velo]

that might be someone's first hearing of Pachelbel's Canon - everybody should be allowed to hear it once

Quite, but it's surely a case of balance. One wouldn't object to the occasional lollipop if more substantial fare were the staple diet.

[Tevot]

I wonder whether Bill Oddie will choose "on hearing the first cuckoo in Spring" ?