Strictly come listening

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  • Hornspieler
    Late Member
    • Sep 2012
    • 1847

    Strictly come listening

    Last night, I found myself watching that Saturday Night extravaganza “Strictly Come Dancing”.

    Not that I am a follower, but my lounge is a comfortable place to sit, have the odd snooze and dispose of a couple of whisky mac’s on a “nothing else worth watching or listening” evening.

    It occurred to me that there are many similarities with our own Radio 3 Forum:

    In Strictly Come Dancing, there is a panel of experts.
    They will be professionally qualified as dancers or dancing instructors. They will point out any discrepancies or failings among the performers, but will also express their own level of enjoyment of the overall performance.

    In Strictly Come Listening, some of our forum members will be qualified as professionally trained musicians, of whom perhaps several will be former professional players. They might also point out any discrepancies or failings among the performers, but will also express their own level of enjoyment of the overall performance.

    Then we have the Audience.

    With both forms of entertainment, some will actually be present at the performance to show their appreciation of the live performances.

    With Strictly Come Dancing, those absent enthusiasts will show their reactions by casting a vote for their favourites*.

    With Strictly Come Listening, the music lovers will give their reactions and overall verdict on the performance by posting on the appropriate thread on these message boards.

    * With either form of entertainment, the choice of “favourites” may be influenced by geographical location or popular TV programmes.
    Loyalty to one’s local orchestra or ensemble is to be expected and encouraged.

    The important thing is that in either form of entertainment, people are giving visible proof that they CARE.

    HS
  • salymap
    Late member
    • Nov 2010
    • 5969

    #2
    An interesting idea HS. I don't think the Sidcup Symphony Orchestra [known as the SOS] is still in existence.

    I rather envy folks with a good local orchestra - I suppose I mostly supported the LSO at first as I started by attending their Sunday concerts. NowI have the choice of five, plus
    smaller ensembles.

    The SE of London seems rather short of live music now.

    Comment

    • ferneyhoughgeliebte
      Gone fishin'
      • Sep 2011
      • 30163

      #3
      Sibelius Symphonies?

      SEVEN!

      What was the name of that suite Elgar wrote for Brass Band?

      SEVERN!


      Facetious, I'm sorry; and HS's idea to encourage active, involvement in concert activities deserves all support. Perhaps an equivalent of Gardeners' Question Time might also work - amateur Violinists ask Ida Haendel the best way to get those extreme melodic leaps in the Brahms Sonatas better in tune; Flautists ask Phillippa Davis where the best place to breathe in the Poulenc Sonata; amateur composers ask Arthur Butterworth how to conclude a fugue ("I've reached the stretto but year after year they just fail to flower properly.")

      I'm not attempting humour here (but there is room for gentle humour, as on Strictly and GQT) - I think that active correspondence between amateurs and professionals is all for the good of performing: too often audiences have been treated as passive onlookers, which may account for falling attendances?
      [FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]

      Comment

      • verismissimo
        Full Member
        • Nov 2010
        • 2957

        #4
        Former professional players as "experts". Hmmm... Not so sure about that as a generalisation, HS.

        Comment

        • MrGongGong
          Full Member
          • Nov 2010
          • 18357

          #5
          Originally posted by verismissimo View Post
          Former professional players as "experts". Hmmm... Not so sure about that as a generalisation, HS.


          "Some, maybe"

          I SAID "SOME, MAYBE !!"

          (that's the problem if you spent your working life sitting in front of 4 trumpets !)

          Comment

          • Hornspieler
            Late Member
            • Sep 2012
            • 1847

            #6
            Originally posted by verismissimo View Post
            Former professional players as "experts". Hmmm... Not so sure about that as a generalisation, HS.
            But I was very careful to limit the word "experts" to Strictly Come Dancing. - (a panel of four experts.) as opposed to "some of our forum members qualified as professionally trained musicians, of whom perhaps several will be former professional players" who might be contributing to the Forum.

            HS

            Comment

            • cloughie
              Full Member
              • Dec 2011
              • 22119

              #7
              Lazily not starting a new thread, I watched the Strictly results and it struck me again as it had in previous series that Dave Arch and his excellent session musicians week in week out put out good covers of songs, arranged for the appropriate dances. Then we get a star soloist spot - this week Emilie Sandi. Poor singing, instantly forgettable song with no tune, awful diction, no clue what she was singing about.

              Comment

              • Dave2002
                Full Member
                • Dec 2010
                • 18014

                #8
                You mean you actually watched it?!!!!

                Comment

                • cloughie
                  Full Member
                  • Dec 2011
                  • 22119

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Dave2002 View Post
                  You mean you actually watched it?!!!!
                  Yes, do you have a problem with that?

                  Comment

                  • ferneyhoughgeliebte
                    Gone fishin'
                    • Sep 2011
                    • 30163

                    #10
                    I used to watch it regularly - my eldest brother was a prize-winning ballroom dancer in his youth, and when he was ill at the end of his life, the programme gave us something else to talk about. I stopped watching a few years ago (the success of the format had resulted in predictability, I thought) but the orchestra was always the most consistently successful part of the programme, I thought (less so a couple of the regular singers, who had a somewhat vinegary attitude to intonation). The "Special Guest" singers on the Results Shows were very nearly always a hugely over-rated waste of time.
                    [FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]

                    Comment

                    • pastoralguy
                      Full Member
                      • Nov 2010
                      • 7757

                      #11
                      A very interesting comparison, HS.

                      Mrs. PG and I watch 'Strictly...'. every year and we get very involved with voting and choosing favourites. I agree that the Orchestra, singers and director are rather taken for granted but perhaps that's a tribute to their professionalism. (I'll always cast a vote for competitor who takes the trouble to thank the band).

                      There's live music, a commodity which is not always prevalent, gorgeous women, lovely costumes and the show is LIVE so it's nerve wracking for both competitors and audiences. What's not to like?!

                      Comment

                      • ChrisBennell
                        Full Member
                        • Sep 2014
                        • 171

                        #12
                        Interestingly, Dave Arch was interviewed on BBC Radio 4 on Saturday about his role as Musical Director on Strictly Come Dancing. (Didn't hear it at the time as I was on R3 as normal on a Saturday).

                        Anyone interested can catch it at the following link (about 38 minutes in):

                        TV gardener Monty Don joins presenters Aasmah Mir and Shaun Keaveny.


                        His Dad is Gwyn Arch who is well known as a director of various choral societies around the Reading area, as well as a composer and arranger.

                        Comment

                        • cloughie
                          Full Member
                          • Dec 2011
                          • 22119

                          #13
                          Originally posted by ChrisBennell View Post
                          Interestingly, Dave Arch was interviewed on BBC Radio 4 on Saturday about his role as Musical Director on Strictly Come Dancing. (Didn't hear it at the time as I was on R3 as normal on a Saturday).

                          Anyone interested can catch it at the following link (about 38 minutes in):

                          TV gardener Monty Don joins presenters Aasmah Mir and Shaun Keaveny.


                          His Dad is Gwyn Arch who is well known as a director of various choral societies around the Reading area, as well as a composer and arranger.
                          Interesting pedigree Gwyn's name is well-known to MVCs! Handy Dad to have if you want a second opinion on arrangements!

                          Comment

                          • Stanfordian
                            Full Member
                            • Dec 2010
                            • 9310

                            #14
                            Originally posted by pastoralguy View Post
                            A very interesting comparison, HS.

                            Mrs. PG and I watch 'Strictly...'. every year and we get very involved with voting and choosing favourites. I agree that the Orchestra, singers and director are rather taken for granted but perhaps that's a tribute to their professionalism. (I'll always cast a vote for competitor who takes the trouble to thank the band).

                            There's live music, a commodity which is not always prevalent, gorgeous women, lovely costumes and the show is LIVE so it's nerve wracking for both competitors and audiences. What's not to like?!
                            'Strictly...' too many inane sketches, almost slapstick, and too little dancing for my liking! I find it hard to watch although Mrs Stanfordian loves it.

                            Comment

                            • antongould
                              Full Member
                              • Nov 2010
                              • 8782

                              #15
                              Shamefully our whole family is addicted with a Whatsapp group, a sweepstake the works .... agree the live band and singers are excellent and that last night's "turn" was awful .........

                              Comment

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