Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Happy Belated Birthday, Ralph Vaughan Williams!


     As much as I love classical music, I cannot honestly say that I have always done so. Back in junior high school music classes, most of the music made no sense to me. But Williams' "English Folk Song Suite" was something to which I could relate, since I liked folk music and was trying to play the guitar.

     While at Penn State, I temporarily left the daily campus newspaper staff and worked as a news reporter for the campus radio station, then with the call letters WDFM. Gradually I planned public affairs programming, and then was asked to take over the Third Program (name from the BBC's Third Programme), the classical music show.

    No, I had not learned about classical music by then. I could run a staff, mostly of music majors, tell them to put the records back in good order (which  had painstakingly organized). Additionally, I could pronounce most of the names of composers, conductors, and musicians since I was a German major and could figure out the non-Germanic names.I also did a show myself.

    Now I like played Williams for my students when they read Mythology, or when I write myself at home. Delius also is good. I love the lushness of the strings and the mood created by them.

     Williams was born in Down Ampney, UK, 12 October 1872. Down Ampney is in the Cotswold in Gloucestershire. My wife and I skirted the region on our honeymoon.

    What kind of music helps you be creative?

   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAi65Fmbn0A   the Pastoral , or 3rd Symphony of Williams.

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