The Music Appreciation Group

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

2nd April

Again we were down to 5 today as many of us had appointments, holidays, sick relatives etc. to deal with. However we managed to have a run through some fine pieces of popular music.

Brenda kicked off with a fifties classic, Danny and the Juniors’ ‘At the Hop’ which got us foot tapping if not actually Hopping.

Dorothy's choice was more classic(al) with the lively Scherzo from Schubert’s ‘Trout Quintet’.

Nev switched genre again with the bawdy tale of ‘The Tattooed Lady’ sung and written by Peter Skellern very much in the style of George Formby with a touch of Stanley Holloway thrown in.

Neil’s first choice was equally bawdy in a different way. The wonderful Ian Dury singing ‘I wanna be straight’, referring to his polio-twisted body and a wish to get off drugs.

Mike went for a more rock n roll song. A 1977 recording of the Old Grey Whistle Test with Emmylou Harris singing the old Chuck Berry song ‘C’est la Vie, You Never Can Tell’ with Albert Lee on lead guitar. The original famously features in the film ‘Pulp Fiction’ in the dance scene.

Brenda also chose a cover song. This time from one of her favourite bands, the Modern Gustin Trio playing a jazzy version of the Beatles tune ‘Ob la di, ob la da’. A great version of a familiar tune.

Dorothy had made an interesting choice - ‘Stars and Stripes Forever’ played by the Royal Philharmonic, written by John Philip Sousa in 1896. A great marching tune.

Nev’s second choice was the lovely guitar duo of Tommy Emmanuel and Joscho Stephan playing ‘If I Had You’, a very classy piece of playing from two near unknown players.

Neil had chosen one of my favourite bands, the Eagles, playing what is almost their signature tune ‘Desperado’ while Mike followed it with a video from ‘Concert for George’ in memory of George Harrison which featured Eric Clapton, Dhani Harrison, Paul McCartney, Jeff Lynne, Albert Lee (again), Ringo and many many others.

Then in short order, we played:

Martha Reeves and the Vandelas ‘In the Midnight Hour’
Ella Fitzgerald ‘Spring is here’
The Travelling Wilburys ‘Handle Me with Cae’
ELO ‘Mr Blue Sky’
Frank Sinatra ‘Just One of Those Things’
Peter Skellern ‘Our Jackie is Getting Married’
And finally the Travelling Wilburys again and ‘Margarita’

Another good session with many pieces new to many of us.