A quick glance around the schedules

[johncorrigan]

A Song of Crotal and White An-diugh (A Song of Crotal and White Today)

Entranced accidently by this beautiful and very moving programme from BBC Alba about the McDonald Sisters film 'A Song of Crotal and White An-diugh', a film they made in the late 60s about their home island of Lewis. The half hour film is then shown 40 years on in the local community showing the changing culture of the island, in particular the tweed and farming. Fascinating images and beautiful singing. If you have an hour to spare in the next couple of days you could do a lot worse than give it a watch, in my view.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ph8kn

[johncorrigan]

Sardinian tenores with Aled

Interesting piece on Sardinian Tenores singing from Aled Jones and a U.S. Tenores group from the choir - not sure how long it's up for - thought they sounded pretty authentic given that they learned to sing it from watching Tenores di Bitti on Youtube, apparently.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00t0mln

Aled says he'd never heard anything like it before in his life - not a Kershaw fan then, Aled!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p005y0zf

[Globaltruth]

At 10.00 pm tonight on BBC4 a programme about that well known World Musician, John Cooper Clark.

I'd subtitle it Beasley Street revisited...

[johncorrigan]

At 10.00 pm tonight on BBC4 a programme about that well known World Musician, John Cooper Clark.

I'd subtitle it Beasley Street revisited...

Thanks G - nearly forgot - the photo that he discovered with him and Tom Waits and Connolly was epic - and he didn't remember. Great TV.

[Globaltruth]

Now I never thought that Gary Barlow would get a positive mention here, but his programme on BBC1 at 7.30 does seem on the surface to have some interesting aspects...the Rastas, the Kenyan children's choir, the Solomon islands musicians.

Hmm...

[johncorrigan]

Hmm...

Hmm indeed, G - couldn't bring myself to go anywhere near the box for that - instead watched a rather amazing programme about the 2000 year old computer - Windows minus98 - the antikythera device - terrible music that got in the way of my brain engaging but utterly fascinating.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01hlkcq

However I see that this evening's WR is all about an Imagined Village introduced by a certain Maxy. Almost as incredible as the Antikythera device it's on at 10pm but probably not live.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01jg8np

[Lateralthinking1]

However I see that this evening's WR is all about an Imagined Village introduced by a certain Maxy.

I'm looking forward to it John. Don't know anything yet about album three so let's hope it is like album one and not two.

[Globaltruth]

I'm looking forward to it John. Don't know anything yet about album three so let's hope it is like album one and not two.

As you know I've been keen on IV since their inception, but sadly find the album Bending the Dark (with one or two notable exceptions) a disappointment; but it seems to be doing very well in some chart or other and I would still go and see them live.
Good to hear the Maxster being given a bite of the World Route cherry.

Coming up on this week's LJ Verity plays at least 1 Chris Wood track, Ethiopian singer Selamnesh Zemene, and something by the Silk Road singer from Uzbek Sevara Nazarkhan. However Verity still does not seem to have completely finished with her electronic phase - she'll be playing an early electronic piece by Charlemagne Palestine.

Oilrig on Fri at 11.00, World On 3, has a session with Buena Vista Social Club pianist Roberto Fonseca.

On Sat. 9th June this:

Between The Ears: In Search Of The Balinese Scarecrow

20:40 – 20:10

On the Indonesian island of Bali music is not just entertainment but it is fully integrated into everyday life. Behind the elaborate walls of family compounds and villages, away from tourist eyes, gamelan orchestras practise daily, slit gongs call the children to school, and music is offered to the Gods in every ceremony of life.

Even the scarecrows make music here; from bamboo chimes and whirring clackers, to rusty tin cans, shaken by the farmers and the wind; all to rid the rice fields of the birds. In the search for the most musical scarecrow we encounter not only the natural and concrete sounds found in gamelan; the toads, birds, geckos, frogs and ducks, but also the new generation of composers and choreographers who are inspired by these sounds to create new music and dances.

Using the scarecrows, wildlife and the gamelan of Bali, Between The Ears explores where the music stops and the sounds of nature begin. Voices include the celebrated composer, Dewa Puta Berata; founder of Cudamani, Sekar Jaya; and artist, Emiko Saraswati Susilo.

On Sunday it's back to Dr. L with 45 mins of World Routes starting at 10.30 pm

she is joined by Arwa Haider and John L Walters for a review of new world music albums, and Uday Bhawalkar sings the ancient Indian classical style of dhrupad.
Uday Bhawalkar comes from the Indian city of Pune, and he has devoted his life to singing 'dhrupad', an ancient style of devotional singing. In dhrupad, the sacred words are drawn out over a long period, the singer slowly exploring the sound of each syllable, intended to induce a trance-like state in both the singer and listener.

[Lateralthinking1]

Now I never thought that Gary Barlow would get a positive mention here, but his programme on BBC1 at 7.30 does seem on the surface to have some interesting aspects...the Rastas, the Kenyan children's choir, the Solomon islands musicians.

Hmm...

I did in the end watch this programme having been told that I would enjoy it more than I thought I would. It had its moments. Charles likes Makeba eh. It was good to see less well known musicians from far and wide. Nice too to have on prime time television Ayub Ogada, now simply Ayub, and Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, now simply Gurrumul. Nothing like a bit of simplistic branding for the Brits who can get their heads around the names of the world's footballers but not, apparently, musicians!

The programme seemed just a little too much like an advert for Barlow. It is hardly that he lacks the confidence to self-promote without the BBC's assistance. I think he had genuine enthusiasm for what he heard but R3 presenters have been in the field for many years now. I doubt that once the moment has passed, it will enable many more people to have an appreciation of world music.

Yes, he can write a tune but then so can Andrew Lloyd Webber. Because they are becoming so similar, their new collaboration seemed predictable. He does try hard to go for less than obvious song structures and that in itself gains him merit marks. But like much of his work, the featured song, "Sing", sounds like it has potential but ultimately fails because it emanates from a musically conservative character. That is his biggest limitation - he is "sound enough" - except in regard to lyrics where he needs help.

As the Military Wives blew the others into minor bit parts, the raison d'etre became clearer. Had the earth been circumnavigated twenty times, the result would have still been very British. Why of course! This was for Her Majesty after all. But Harry's comments about his Nan reinforced what we knew - that when it comes to a genuine openness towards other cultures she is ahead of the game. We won't be seeing our Gary as a future presenter of World Routes but our Elizabeth could still give it a go.

[Globaltruth]

I did in the end watch this programme having been told that I would enjoy it more than I thought I would. It had its moments. Charles likes Makeba eh. It was good to see less well known musicians from far and wide. Nice too to have on prime time television Ayub Ogada, now simply Ayub, and Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, now simply Gurrumul. Nothing like a bit of simplistic branding for the Brits who can get their heads around the names of the world's footballers but not, apparently, musicians!

Barlow is not as a person dislikeable. He is though a part of the British music establishment. While his intentions were good, the programme seemed just a little too much like an advert for him. It is hardly that he lacks the confidence to self-promote without the BBC's assistance. I think he had genuine enthusiasm for what he heard but R3 presenters have been in the field for many years now. I doubt that once the moment has passed, it will enable many more people to have an appreciation of world music.

Yes, he can write a tune but then so can Andrew Lloyd Webber. Because they are becoming so similar, their new collaboration seemed predictable. He does try hard to go for less than obvious song structures and that in itself gains him merit marks. But like much of his work, the featured song, "Sing", sounds like it has potential but ultimately fails because it emanates from a musically conservative character. That is his biggest limitation - he is "sound enough" - except in regard to lyrics where he needs help.

As the Military Wives blew the others into minor bit parts, the raison d'etre became clearer. Had the earth been circumnavigated twenty times, the result would have still been very British. Why of course! This was for Her Majesty after all. But Harry's comments about his Nan reinforced what we knew - that when it comes to a genuine openness towards other cultures she is ahead of the game. We won't be seeing our Gary as a future presenter of World Routes but our Elizabeth could still give it a go.

Thanks for this balanced & sensible post Lat. as you can perhaps tell, I do agree.

As I said somewhere else the sum was less than the parts.
The orchestra, the obligatory wives drowned out most of the WM. Bit like taking a delicately prepared and gently spiced meal then drowning it under a blanket of mashed potato.

Comparisons with a similar undertaking by One Giant Leap a few years ago are unfavourable.
Their budget was minuscule but they managed to attract some thinkers & literary figures as well as world musicians.

But still, but still, this was probably the biggest BBC audience for WM in recent times and so should be welcomed.

Shame GB wasn't shown consulting with certain BBC presenters who could have marked his card in a most constructive way.
And I doubt he will be revisiting this genre again any time soon...

[johncorrigan]

My mum was watching highlights of the concert today when I popped in for a visit back to the old homestead( honest! ) - I thought 'Sing' was predictable - the end result was just a bit of pop - right, let's get some commonwealth in there, antipodean would be good, and we need a reference to the military, and we need some cute kids in there - but the military bit's the important thing. I know I didn't see the making of the programme, but I found the whole song manipulative and cynical. ( but then I'm still mad at GB for his cutesy dumb version of 'Here comes the sun' on recent M&S ads, so I'm probably biased!).

[Globaltruth]

I've spent enough time on that track now, we need to exorcise the spirit of GB & indeed probably GB from this particular thread.

I suggest spending some time here....

http://www.worldmusic.net/battle/

[cloughie]

My mum was watching highlights of the concert today when I popped in for a visit back to the old homestead( honest! ) - I thought 'Sing' was predictable - the end result was just a bit of pop - right, let's get some commonwealth in there, antipodean would be good, and we need a reference to the military, and we need some cute kids in there - but the military bit's the important thing. I know I didn't see the making of the programme, but I found the whole song manipulative and cynical. ( but then I'm still mad at GB for his cutesy dumb version of 'Here comes the sun' on recent M&S ads, so I'm probably biased!).

It was also seriously in need of a tune, surely the combined efforts of GB and ALW and time spent on Commonwealth globetrotting research by GB, would have come up with something better! Also I felt really for the soloists from Military Wives and the young soloists who, I can only put down to being wired up and the confused sounds around them, sounded to be singing slightly flat.

[Lateralthinking1]

It was also seriously in need of a tune, surely the combined efforts of GB and ALW and time spent on Commonwealth globetrotting research by GB, would have come up with something better! Also I felt really for the soloists from Military Wives and the young soloists who, I can only put down to being wired up and the confused sounds around them, sounded to be singing slightly flat.

I'm new to Will Todd and rarely appreciate children's choirs but he and the Diamond Choir really delivered:

http://willtodd.com/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18331677

[cloughie]

There has been talk of a knighthood for GB - should it be the tower?