A Passing Observation

[poliphilo]

I admire Benjamin Britten no end but there's something seriously out of kilter about  a folk song or sea chanty being performed- at the grand piano-  by two chaps in evening dress. 

Comments

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Probably no odder than its being performed by blokes with guitars in a city pub...

I don't mind how these songs are performed. They're strong enough to take it, and I don't have to (and don't want to) listen. But I get annoyed about the way the songs then belong in some way to the chaps in evening dress.

And don't get me started on Vaughan Williams and the invention of sampling...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

This was prompted by your post of a few days ago and by hearing "Down by the Salley Gardens"- words by Yeats, arrangement by Britten- being rendered by the archetypal two chaps in evening dress. I'm guessing the tune must be traditional. Anyway, I know it from the repertoire of the folk singer Bram Taylor.

I'd be interested in reading your opinion of Vaughan Williams. Material for a future post, maybe?

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Ah, I wondered if it was pure coincidence.

Material for a future post, maybe?

That's kind of you, but probably not: I'm trying to minimise the grumbling in my LJ. But the short version is implicit in my comment here: there are some lovely tunes in Vaughan Williams, which have nothing to do with how good a composer he is (which I'm not competent to discuss) and everything to do with what wonderful tunes they are. Full credit to him for recognising that...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I get your drift...

I suppose V-W acknowledged his borrowings- or did he?

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

He was well known as a collector of folk songs, and a leading member of the EFDSS, so I don't think there was any concealment on his part. How much the classical music fans are aware of it is another question.

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

Absolutely!