Sunday morning music

  Spanish composer JoaquĆ­n Rodrigo is one of the twentieth century’s most important and prolific producers of music for guitar and orchestra.  He’s probably best known for his world-famous Concierto de Aranjuez (which provided his title when he was ennobled by the King of Spain as the first Marquess of the Gardens of Aranjuez).  Other… Continue reading Sunday morning music

Sunday morning music

  Time for some musical laughter.  How many of you know of the educational franchise “Horrible Histories“?  It’s designed to teach history in a fun, enjoyable way;  and one of the techniques it uses is to write songs about the era under discussion.  They’re usually off-beat, funny, and sometimes in-your-face politically incorrect. Here’s a brief… Continue reading Sunday morning music

Sunday morning music

  Many of my readers doubtless enjoyed the made-for-TV movie series based on Bernard Cornwell’s “Sharpe” historical novels. John Tams‘ adaptation (including new lyrics) of an old English folk tune, “Over The Hills And Far Away“, became one of the theme songs of the series, and quite a popular hit besides.  He co-wrote the music for the… Continue reading Sunday morning music

Sunday morning music

  Today our musical entertainment is as much visual as auditory – and, in one case, very funny. The musical “Riverdance” was initially the brainchild of Moya Doherty, Executive Producer of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest final in Dublin, Ireland.  She commissioned the titular piece to be performed during the interval of that show.  It… Continue reading Sunday morning music

Sunday morning music

  Finnish composer Jean Sibelius had a remarkable effect on his country and his countrymen during his long life (1865-1957).  His music embodied and inspired the Finns’ search for a national identity, and became a rallying point for their independence as a nation.  Few composers have ever had such a markedly nationalist inspiration and effect… Continue reading Sunday morning music

Sunday morning music

  Courtesy of Spin, Strangeness and Charm, here’s an entire album of piano sonatas by Baroque composer Domenico Scarlatti.  It’s an excellent recording of a very skilled musician, Wolfram Schmitt-Leonardy, at work.  Enjoy! Beautifully played, sir! Peter