The Music Appreciation Group

Leader:  Mike Stow - musicapp@ashbyu3a.co.uk - 01530 469152

5th August

Eight members made it round to Sallie’s house for another fine session of music appreciation.

We started with some jazz and blues in the form of Jimmy Witherspoon singing ‘St Louis Blues’, Errol Garner and ‘Misty’, Ella Fitzgerald with ‘Anything Goes’ and, on what would have been Louis Armstrong’s 125th birthday, an excellent rendition of ‘Mack the Knife’ recorded for a BBC TV show.

Sue then offered a very different heavy metal version of ‘Sound of Silence’ by the band Disturbed. Strangely compelling.

Divine Comedy’s poignant ‘Lady of a Certain Age’ was followed by Neil Diamond and ‘Pretty Amazing Grace’ and then the Platters ‘Twilight Time’. Great tunes.

On to some classical music. Firstly Pachelbel’s Canon played wonderfully by Paul Fey on the organ of Rotterdam cathedral and then Itzhak Perlman’s phenomenal violin playing of Paganini’s Caprice #24.

We returned to some rock and pop with Sam Cooke’s powerful commentary ‘A Change is Gonna Come’, Status Quo and ‘When You Walk in the Room’, the exquisite voice of Eva Cassidy and ‘Autumn Leaves’, Paul Simon’s gospel version of ‘Bridge Over Troubled Waters’ with the Jesse Dixon Singers and then bluesman Eric Bibb singing and playing ‘Don’t Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down’ from the BBC’s Transatlantic Sessions TV series.

We finished with the stirring ‘Thunder and Lightning Polka’ by Strauss to round out a session where we all learned of some new (to us) interesting music and performers.