h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ah, quarantine. It's like the whole planet is facing a rainy day situation. I noticed that Lord Vinheteiro, the crazy Brazilian pianist who stares at the camera while playing madly difficult pieces, thinks this is nothing out of the ordinary. I'm afraid I'm sort of the same way: it took me all week to finally get caught up with all the Post Stuff. Then I cheerfully went downstairs to play piano.

So what else is there to do while staying home? Besides housework, which we're all trying to avoid. One thing you can do when you're social-distancing and haven't any place to go is surf Youtube.

I discovered something magical: the changing voice of Aksel Rykkvin. He's from Norway. A few years ago, young Aksel sounded like this:

'Ombra mai fu'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BybU77FPHGo

Really great voice, but it couldn't last forever. Now he's 16, and he sounds like this, also good:

'O Waly Waly'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLBb2P_oYmA

I heard those first piano chords and thought, 'Benjamin Britten'. Sure enough, yes, that's one of the folk arrangements he did for Peter Pears. Here's Peter Pears singing the same arrangement:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNIM9aYbr7Y

I have fond memories of Peter Pears singing folk songs. Back when I was in graduate school in the US , I used to have to spend a lot of time in the university library reading 'reserve materials'. That meant I only had two hours to study them, and they couldn't leave the library. So I'd waltz by the record collection, grab an LP, and do my reading in a listening booth. The Britten/Pears album was one of my favourites. Listening to them somewhat indemnified me for putting up with my professors' horrible taste in German-language reading material. (To this day, I loathe Adalbert Stifter with a passion.)

So, whatever you're listening to, happy listening.

Ha! bugs or viruses! If you've had a Yorkshire coldYou can stand any foreign bug that comes along

(our colds have a kick to them)

Amazing! Beautiful renditions of The Water Is Wide. That tune always moves me to tears, and when sung with voices like these, I am transported to realms of shining realmness.

Ah yes, music, yes yes yes.

Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears. I first learned about them when my brother moved to Suffolk in the 70s, so I'd visit Aldeburgh where they lived. I got obsessed with their story.

Now I'm going to think about it all over again.

Love the description of you in the library. Nice idea! Reading in a listening booth.

What were the headphones like in the reading booths?
Really big stereo phones? Good sound? You'd have looked like an academic DJ. heheh.

Yep, they had nice headphones at that university. Academic DJ, indeed. I have, in fact, been an academic DJ.

I once accidentally left the mic open as I called out to the manager, 'Can we PLAY 'Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother?'

Yes, Virginia...there is a song called "Up against the wall, Redneck mother.."

http://youtu.be/JkeszOXy7MI

You doubted this...?

We had no budget, so I went out and BOUGHT 'I Saw Elvis in a UFO' when it hit the stores. It went over well.

Your roots are showing

Gonna do a

What do viruses sing when at a party ?


For sneeze a jolly good fellow..


I'll get my coat