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

I haven't written about what I did last Saturday. There's a chap around these parts who is a very good musician and makes his living, as far as I know, as a church musician. He plays the piano really well and conducts choirs. He has set the words of the mass to film melodies and a friend and I went to see a performance.

They had got together 86 people to sing in this choir, and there was a very good orchestra who played some pieces before the actual mass. They had brought a saxopohne soloist who played a concerto by Alessandro Marcello (1684-1750 according to the programme). I wondered what instrument it was written for - there weren't many saxophones around in the 18th century.

Anyway, the mass was great fun. Just imagine "Gloria in excelsis Deo" sung to the tune of the Magnificent 7, or "Benidictus qui venit in nomine Domini" to the tune of Moon River. I was expecting the Star Wars theme to be dedicated to the Credo, but somehow he managed to make it fit the "Sanctus". The Credo was sung to the tune of "Born Free".

Definitely worth going, especially as the composer himself was playing the piano, which is always a joy to see.

I've just had a look. It seems that it was an oboe concerto. That fits, as the soloist was playing a straight soprano saxophone.

When I bought my saxophone, one of the things I wanted to do was to play Marcello's Oboe Concerto. Haven't managed it yet, though. Too many other things have come in the way.

Yes, Marcello (and all baroque composers) wrote lots for the oboe. Oboes and bassoons were regularly included in orchestras long before flutes (and of course clarinets, which didn't get in until Mozart's time. They were used in operas before symphonies and concertos.) Saxophones didn't arrive till the mid-19th c.

A well-played soprano saxophone can sound more like a baroque oboe than a modern oboe does. The baroque oboe has an irresistible sound.

Oh, that's original Seems like you've ahad a very nice time

My favourite 'one song to the tune of another' is "A Whiter Shade of Pale" sung to the tune of "My Old Man's a Dustman".

It fits perfectly.

Someone told me that any Emily Dickinson poem can be sung to the tune of the Yellow Rose of Texas.

And any limerick can be sung to 'It Ain't Necessarily So'

I was just ing, but had to thank you for the limerick melody.

Jabberwocky can be sung to the tune of "Greensleeves"

And should be!

Neither will ever be the same again . . .