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

Little has loved a couple of Holst's Planets for some while and I bought him the full CD for this birthday. I also bought him a double CD of the last night at the Proms. He has taken it to bed with him every night and plays it in the morning too when he wakes up. I'm really impressed. And so much more restful than pop music.

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We went to see a performance of The Planets many years ago when Mrs G was pregnant, and Daughter El announced her approval for Mars from within by a mighty kick.

When my middle son was about 5, he loved the intro to "Papa don't preach" (Madonna). I never got round to exposing them to much classical music when they were little, but those few bars of strings have given him a taste for classical music which has grown over the years. He came to it via pop music through his playing, too.

Listening to whole bits of music like that should calm him down and improve concentration. Does he aspire to play an instrument? Dare I say trumpet?

Holst's Planets?

Don't think I've ever heard it.

Do it got a beat?

Yes, it got a beat!

"Mars" is wonderful.

My kids loved it when I played it some time back, and they also loved the "Sorcerers Apprentice" and the "Hall of the Mountain King". Getting kids to appreciate classical music at an early age is a real gift. I think I have some way to go yet..

Hmm. I knows them songs.

I used to play Vince Guaraldi and Henry Mancini and Gershwin to my kid.

Thanks for the link Gnomon. Mars is his favourite one (surprise, surprise!) As well as 'I vow to thee my country' I think it was used as a hymn tune - I remember the words 'and silently the wondrous gift is given', but when I googled it, all I got was 'Oh little town of Bethlehem' - or in one case 'Oh little town of Bellingham'!

TC - he doesn't play an instrument yet, but he may want to play trumpet. He came with me to my first lesson and showed some interest in playing it then. I suspect that at present he doesn't have the internal discipline to practice it daily. I was much the same when I was learning to play piano, although my mum did make sure that I had my half hour practice daily - usually in my lunch hour, much to my disgust, as my friends were out playing. I really have Roy to thank for introducing him to classical music. We tend to play Classic FM in the car and when he's here, on the radio as background.

Tonsil - If you haven't heard the Planets, they're well worth a listen.

Woodpigeon - little hasn't heard the Sorcerer's Apprentice or 'In the Hall of the Mountain King' as far as I know. Good recommendations!

Ah, I was wrong - he *does* know these and particularly likes 'In the Hall of the Mountain King'.

Isn't that a Robert Fripp tune?

No - it's from Manic Miner.

Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain" is another great piece for kids. I think I'm right about the name...

Apologies in advance for the reference to an obscure 1980's video game..

Robert Fripp wrote "In the Court of the Crimson King".

Mussorgsky's piece is called "Night on Bald Mountain" in America and "Night on the Bare Mountain" in Europe.

Ah, King Crimson! I saw them when I was a student. They were the loudest group I'd heard up until then.

Maybe I should show little Fantasia again - he didn't like it when he was little. Maybe he's ready for it now.

I saw an interesting item on TV recently about Walt Disney and Fantasia - he originally intended to change it frequently - every 2 years or so, to include new sequences. It doesn't tell a story. For many years, he met Salvador Dali and worked on a project with him - apparently the two were on a wavelength - but eventually they only constructively produced 18 seconds of film which was not ever used in a Fantasia version.

They showed some examples from Fantasia which clearly demonstrated a strong Dali-influence in style and content. They mentioned a third contemporary of Disney and Dali who was also involved in the Fantasia project but I've forgotten who it was - some avant-garde European composer I think.

Hi my two favourite

Tonight K. and I listened to a rehersal of Strauss "Till Eulenspiegle" (spelling) with Zubin Mehta conducting. I love it, loveit, love it!!
It brought back such happy memories.

Much

Christiane and K. Mschooloffish>.

Oh, I didn't know that, TC! A bit like the "I've got a little list" in the Mikado.

I don't know the Till Eulenspiegel music, Christiane. I think I did as a child, but I can't remember it now. All I know is that he was a teller of tall tales.

"A bit like the "I've got a little list" in the Mikado."

That reminds me, I was listening to an oldies station about 4:30 this morning and they played the long version of Bobby Darin's "Mack the Knife". Apparently he threw in whosever names he wished in the list toward the end when he sang it live. Ella Fitzgerald's version is similarly silly.

I've not heard either of those, Tonsil. THey sound neat. It must be great to have that kind of creativity and the confidence to be able to do it. And for the audience, there would be the deliciousness of the surprise.