University Challenge Watch

Moving back to the other half of the Courtauld Institute of Art Team we have a Shaolin monk paired with the 20-something Test Card girl posing as the Mona Lisa. Gotta love those groovy Art students.

 

A little harsh. I thought he was quite a good philosopher.

 

That may be related to the MA Art History and Conservation of Buddhist Heritage they run.

 

At WBGS in the music lesson, they spent weeks and weeks and weeks playing the same classical music to us. So much, I even remember it now. Vltava by Smetna. We were sick of hearing it, but they kept going, in the same way they torture taliban prisoners by blasting heavy metal music. They drilled it into us.

Well, like every other tortured member of the class I'd suppose, I've despised classical music ever since and know absolutely nothing about it.

One night I was sitting with some people who considered themselves very cultural and experts on classical music, watching university challenge. When the music question came, after the first two notes played, I shouted "Vltava by Smetna! It's fackin' Vltava!".

There was a delicious few seconds where they looked at me shocked and the TV contestants struggled for an answer and couldn't get it. And then the cherry on the top of my triumph when he said what I already 100% knew! "It was Vltava by Smetna" . I looked around smugly.

What a great life moment! Thankyou WBGS and University Challenge. It was hard to see the point of drilling that shyte into us for so many hours, but in that moment it all became clear. It was so I could have a moment of triumph over some posh people.

 

I love Vltava.

 

On the flipside, at WBGS Mr Tibbett played The Stranglers "No More Heroes" for our circuit training in PE.....

 

Which begs the question of why you don't now hate The Stranglers.

 

??

 

I'm pretty sure she added me in Twitter and sent nudes.

 

Clive said that the repeated playing of the music put him off for life. Plus, if I associated a piece of music with memories of circuit training, I would loathe it.

 

Ah...my mates and I already loved the stranglers, were shocked, and actually enjoyed PE for a change. Only played it once or twice from my recollection.

 

Always thought you were odd.

 

Have now fixed my post !

 

In OC, I managed to get the Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, The Irishman question after 2 clues, while the both teams of Megabrains struggled for any sort of answer. God, I felt royally smug afterwards. This does not happen often.

 

Was that Andy Tibbett? In his first year as a teacher he arranged a 1st XI hockey match at Oundle school where I think he did his teaching practice. Drove us up there in the school minibus and despite being under the cosh for most of the match we held on to win 2-1. As we were drinking our post-match shandy (new idea to us) we heard the 'clatter-clatter-clatter' of studded boots approaching and saw about 20 hulking brutes in rugby kit running towards us.
"Are you chaps the state school hockey lot?" asked the biggest bloke. "What was the score?" he continued as the rest of them lined up facing us. We looked around a bit anxiously before admitting we'd won, upon which they gave out a mighty roar, saying "Jolly good show! Those insufferable lot haven't lost for almost two seasons....and to a lot of staties at that!" And off they trotted with much merriment.

After a pub stop-off on the way back, he then proceeded to drop everyone off at their home, so must have back to his place pretty late. The next day's hockey practice paid us back, though!

He also kept wicket for the cricket club we both played for and was a good batsman. Nice bloke all round.

 

So does Clive!

 

Yes. Good guy. Also took a bunch of us in the school minibus to the Peterboro away game in 1978, where we won 1-0 with a goal from Luther.

 

I think my year suffered the same fate with 'Peter And The Wolf' which the teacher (Mr Didcot IIRC) said we would move on from once he could ask the class at random, without receiving an incorrect answer, which character was represented by which instrument. I think it took him well into the second half of the term to cotton on that we were taking it in turns to deliberately give a wrong answer.

As part of the hierarchy's attempt to adapt to societal changes in the late 1960s, various sixth-formers were occasionally allowed to 'present' morning assembly. One time, most of the teachers looked perplexed as the majority of pupils sniggered and chortled as 'Je t'aime moi non plus' belted out in the hall. On another, after the clearly suitable 'Presence Of The Lord' by Blind Faith had finished, uproar ensued when the sixth former involved said 'And if anyone wants to hear more from this group, this is the album cover to look out for' as he held up the cover for all to see.

I think the experiment was curtailed soon after.

 

As a not very posh lover of classical music, can I mark you down for mis-spelling Smetana twice? Must try harder!

 

If you don't hear classical music regularly at home, you need to experience a piece several times before you get it. Maybe it was overdone in your case, Clive, or maybe it worked for some of your classmates but not for you.

Not everyone is going to like it, but a lot of people who think they dislike classical music enjoy pieces they're familiar with after hearing them many times in adverts, TV programmes or films.

The best way of getting to know a new piece is to let it wash over you a couple of times, hearing it but not really listening, to absorb unconsciously how it goes before listening properly.

 

Can't dance to it though, can you? Hasn't got much of a beat.

I admit I sometimes, rarely, listen to it if I'm in the mood. Classic FM in the car for example. Once in a blue moon. I also enjoyed that documentary about that family where all the children were musicians and the lad won Best young musician. That was good.

I also appreciate the classical tunes are reused all the time in pop music and all styles.

But for me it's ancient and cobwebby. A fine piece of work, but a museum piece from another time. Like reading one of the classic old books such as Robinson Crusoe I read recently - very good, but of its time. Quite heavy and full of religious deliberations of the time, not something you'd pick up for a light entertaining read.

The same with classical music. I would rather listen to a calypso or soca with funny, dirty words or a soulful singer putting his or her heart into some sad song or something upbeat that sticks in your mind and gets your toe tapping, than 30 violins and cellos scraping out some dusty old sonata from 200 years ago.

 

I still have 'flashbacks' from my time in Conservation Science working with 'experts' from the Courtauld. Normally these flashbacks appear when I'm working with kids with learning disabilities and/or are firmly on the ASD at FLYERZ hockey...

 

You really don't get how this"... cultural commentator..." shtick works, do you (cf Mark "Odious" Lawson)?

 

Listen to some Leonard Bernstein, Clive. If the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story or his overture On the Town don't get you bopping nothing will.

Try them and let us know what you think!

 

I heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music do you?

 

Die Moldau / Vltava by Smetana.
The Moldau specifically was intended to evoke the sounds of one of Bohemia’s great rivers – the Vltava river. The “Moldau” name comes from the German name for the source of the river in the Bohemian mountains. In Smetana’s own words:

The composition describes the course of the Vltava, starting from the two small springs, the Cold and Warm Vltava, to the unification of both streams into a single current, the course of the Vltava through woods and meadows, through landscapes where a farmer’s wedding is celebrated, the round dance of the mermaids in the night’s moonshine: on the nearby rocks loom proud castles, palaces and ruins aloft. The Vltava swirls into the St John’s Rapids; then it widens and flows toward Prague, past the Vy*ehrad, and then majestically vanishes into the distance, ending at the Labe.

The piece begins with the flutes playing a flowing tune reminiscent of two rippling springs. Violin pizzicato evokes raindrops. Soon, clarinets begin to play and continue the theme. Then one of Smetana’s most famous melodies emerges. It is an adaptation of a piece called La Mantovana and is arguably one of the most strikingly beautiful parts of the entire work. In fact, it has inspired other pieces, most notably the Israeli national anthem, Hatikvah. Later on, a horn melody representing jubilant hunters and a polka rhythm that depicts a wedding scene can be heard before the famous melody returns. The piece ends with a regal hymn that fades away until the final two loud notes.

The Moldau was written in the 1870’s, a time when Bohemians had a renewed interest in freedom from German culture. They embraced it and the rest of Má vlast as a sort of patriotic symphonic national anthem. Research suggests this was Smetana’s intent as well.

I'd have thought this kind of sentiment was right up your street Clive. And as a symphonic poem it is a fantastic piece, if they had taught it a little better, maybe you wouldn't have cut a massive source of pleasure from your life.

 

Another listening suggestion, Clive. If you fancy something raucous, try Shostakovitch's Suite for Variety Orchestra. Great fun, and only written 73 years ago!

 

I'm going to try a few nuggets to inspire COTK.



and for my remoaner friends, how can this fail to bring a tear to your eye?

 

Nobody writes tunes like Dvorak! Best tunesmith ever!