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

It was invented by Benjamin Franklin.

Oddly, I can't seem to find any videos of the glass (h)armonica used to play Bohemian Rhapsody, sadly.

http://youtu.be/BdtLK9pAh5k

Many years ago we went to a family concert given by Alisdair Malloy and the Guildford Philharmonic. In it they played the Typewriter Concerto as well as a glass harmonica version of Riverdance. All the kids there loved it.

At this point, I feel the need to point out that a sensible musical instrument can be rendered silly by it's player.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh8l0x9uF-Y

PP

Or that lots of sensible instruments can be rendered silly by their players.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpJ6anurfuw

And then The North discovered what in some circles might be considered to be 'music'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w9TRG9so50

In which The North make Portsmouth sound like a band of angels.

PP.

Henry knows that something isn't quite right.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kind5OWiKNg

Oh God, I love YouTube.

PP.

I do, too.

Henry is wondering where all those small injured animalses is for hims to pounce on.

As I type this my refrigerator is making similar noises to the trumpet section of that version of Also Spracht Zarathustra.

Your refrigerator could become a youtube star!

Coincidentally I heard the Typewriter Concerto on TV last night

Shame about the lack of Bo Rhap on the Glass Harmonica but I enjoyed that video

I enjoyed the Northern Sinfonia piece as well - makes me feel better about the orchestra I was in at school, as we were all at least Grade 2 players, so it was slightly less painful for the audience when we inflicted our efforts on our parents at the end of year concert...

Given, that, anything can be turned into a 'musical instrument', given a broad enough interpretation of 'musical', this is tricky... But, having thought about it, and given the obscene sounds that often are produced by it, in many, and varied circumstances, locations and situations, I think, to me, that the human voice/mouth has to be a strong contender I mean. really.

There's a wide range of quality with the human voice. I've heard some amazingly out of tune singers. Their ability to even maintain one pitch for more than a few seconds is poor. Then there's Julie Andrews at the other end of the scale, though she doesn't sing as well as she used to...

So, now there's a new trend in my suggested YouTube videos.


Leave it to Blue Man Group to play...

The Brooklyn Bridge.

http://youtu.be/k95pB0jr5Cc

That's not half bad!

OO... I kinda like that.... sort of... industrial

The question is whether the Blue Men can play the whites.

Let's throw at them and see.