From the Ancient Blue Danube

[Pabmusic]

I thought this might be of interest:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18196349

On a separate note, I've noticed a tendency on the BBC website to say "the Danube River", "the Rhine River" and the like lately, instead of the River Danube, etc. It must be the new flavour of the month.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I suspect it's yet another Americanism. They say the "Mississippi River", the "Oregan River", the "St Lawrence River", etc.

[Pabmusic]

I suspect it's yet another Americanism. They say the "Mississippi River", the "Oregan River", the "St Lawrence River", etc.

So they do. And being American, it's obviously the preferred way to say it.

[Extended Play]

I've noticed a tendency on the BBC website to say "the Danube River", "the Rhine River" and the like lately, instead of the River Danube, etc. It must be the new flavour of the month.

The style has cropped up in news broadcasts for many years. That's probably because sub-editors, using copy from American news agencies to prepare their scripts, have lifted the American usage without realising that it doesn't sound natural here.

[Pabmusic]

The style has cropped up in news broadcasts for many years. That's probably because sub-editors, using copy from American news agencies to prepare their scripts, have lifted the American usage without realising that it doesn't sound natural here.

Thank you. It's ignorance, then.

[doversoul1]

Please excuse my ignorance but when these archaeological articles mention ‘flute’, does it always mean the horizontally held type? I ask this because, recently, I read an article about the musical instruments that had been excavated in Japan. The wind instruments seem to be all ‘yoko-bue’ or ‘horizontal pipe’. I’d have thought the recorder-type pipe would be more natural way of making ‘music’?

[MrGongGong]

Please excuse my ignorance but when these archaeological articles mention ‘flute’, does it always mean the horizontally held type? I ask this because, recently, I read an article about the musical instruments that had been excavated in Japan. The wind instruments seem to be all ‘yoko-bue’ or ‘horizontal pipe’. I’d have thought the recorder-type pipe would be more natural way of making ‘music’?

Those do look like end blown flutes similar to the Quena or even the Shakuhachi or the Ney (and i keep thinking of others !)
I think they would be classified as notch flutes rather than the fipple flute (like a recorder)

I'm not sure that it's more "natural" ?
the same is true of horns , though its much easier to make a side blown horn than an end blown one !

[Pabmusic]

Please excuse my ignorance but when these archaeological articles mention ‘flute’, does it always mean the horizontally held type? I ask this because, recently, I read an article about the musical instruments that had been excavated in Japan. The wind instruments seem to be all ‘yoko-bue’ or ‘horizontal pipe’. I’d have thought the recorder-type pipe would be more natural way of making ‘music’?

Just a guess really, but I'd imagine that blowing across a hole would be the better candidate for the 'original flute' - simply because our ancestors would have to do nothing in the way of carving. A hollow reed might produce a note without any technology.

[MrGongGong]

Radik Tyulyush of Huun Huur Tu uses a piece of plastic overflow pipe (about 22mm)
no mouthpiece just using his tongue and lips to make an embouchure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqCq0XDsiHI