Sunday 13 June 2010

I was interested to hear this programme on 'Chinese' musical clichés this morning: any radio programme that brings in discussion of encoded meaning in music is right up my street. But my favourite bit of Chinese/Western crossover music is probably this remarkable one from 1981. When the massed synths and the Peking Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra finally play together after alternating throughout (at 3'48 in the clip, but I think the original was about 18 minutes long) it's genuinely moving. I'll even forgive the equal temperament. 

Speaking of genuinely moving music, in the post yesterday came an envelope of songs from Shirley Collins, including hers and Dolly's amazing version of Death and the Lady, which is simple and profound. Even though on the record Alan Lumsden jumped the gun on the sackbut a few times (sightreading?), it's still powerful enough to be track 1.