Sounds and Songs of long ago...
Here we take a look at the Hammond organ with Leslie speakers and drawbars, and Music Workshop Stage I as part of the Singing for Schools...
| Faded
Notes Sounds and Songs of long ago... |
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| | EXIT | Hammond Organs | Music for Schools: Music Workshop | Singing Together | Mozart's K545 | In an Eighteenth Century Drawing Room | | |
Hammond Organs
The year 2004 saw the 70th anniversary of Hammond Organs (1934 -2004). And it also paid tribute to Donald James Leslie (13 April 1911 - 3 September 2004) who invented the unique Leslie speaker system.
"The Hammond tone wheel organ, first introduced by Laurens Hammond in April 1935, is the one against which all contenders are measured."
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In the 70s, Hammond organs were 'state of the art' in both home and professional playing circles. A special innovation was the Leslie speaker system, which was (in the early models) simply a speaker held in a rotating drum (made of a moulded fibre). Later models produced the effect electronically. Hammonds were also famous for the 'tonewheel generator' which produced the unique sound and 'drawbars' - a pull out plastic slider which increased or decreased the volume of the selected instrument/effect. |
Links
And
http://theatreorgans.com/hammond/faq/
for more details.
Music for
Schools
Singing lessons in junior and infant schools were always a very enjoyable event. Many of the (very catchy) songs have remained with the children, who are now 'grown up'! Songs were often learnt by the class when the teacher had only a single copy of the book.
The 'Singing Together' booklets were produced in enough numbers for most of the classes to retain a copy, but the songs were sung so often that they were usually committed to memory without any effort! They formed part of the 'BBC Radio for Schools' broadcasts.
'The BBC Music Workshop' series combined singing lessons with a range of activities, such as playing instruments (chime bars etc) while also listening to a radio broadcast.
Today, these songs evoke happy memories in those who took part.
Deborah Donner writes of these songs...
"There was a funny one from, the sea shanties booklet, which I remember particularly well . It used to cause hysterics in the classroom and we always wanted to sing it."
Oh those flying fish are nuzzink, mit mein yaw yaw yaw.
Oh those flying fish are nuzzink, mit mein yaw yaw yaw
Dere’s no need for you to snigger
I have seen dem ten times bigger
Mit Mein Yaw, Yaw, Yaw.
On ein beautiful tropical island, mit mein yaw, yaw, yaw.
On ein beautiful tropical island, mit mein yaw yaw yaw
Dere are plants just like azaleas
Vat vill eat unvary sailors
Mit mein yaw, yaw, yaw.
"You can see why a group of seven year olds would love this! – And why I still remember it!
And another one was ‘Heave away’, which went like this:-"
I’m a man you’ll learn to fear.
Heave, heave away.
On board this ship there’s little cheer.
Heave away my hearties.
Man the halliards, quick you men,
Heave heave away.
You’ll never see your wives again.
Heave away my hearties.
Music Workshop
Stage I
A series of broadcasts provided by the BBC for the School Broadcasting
Council for the United Kingdom. Many of the workshops were written and produced
by William Murphy.
"In our junior school there was a radio receiver in the headmaster/secretary's room which fed a network of speakers in the classrooms. To listen to a programme, the teacher plugged the speaker into the wall socket and the whole class could then play the instruments when prompted by the broadcaster."
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The BBC Music Workshops Stages I and II included themes such as: |
Singing Together
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Singing Together |
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Singing Together |
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Singing Together |
Mozart's Sonata Facile - Sonata No. 16 in C Major K545.
"Universally known as the 'Sonata facile (or semplice)' the relative ease of K545 has ensured that it has become the most of famous of all Mozart's piano sonatas."
There are three short movements:
Sonata No. 16 In C Major, K545 'Sonata Facile': I. Allegro
Sonata No. 16 In C Major, K545 'Sonata Facile': II. Andante
Sonata No. 16 In C Major, K545 'Sonata Facile': III. Rondo. Allegretto
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Mock Mozart includes Sonata No 16 in C Major K545 Movement I Allegro as adapted by Raymond Scott under the title "In an Eighteenth Century Drawing Room". |
In an Eighteenth Century Drawing
Room
This was an instrumental written by Raymond Scott and performed by his quintet. It was adapted from Mozart's Piano Sonata K545 in C Major (Movement 1 Allegro). This also referred to as Sonata No. 15 or 16 depending upon the source.
Jack Lawrence invented a story to fit the period and wrote the lyrics:
I found an old musty book,
Long lost in some far forgotten nook.
In the book a faded picture,
And the scent of faint perfume,
Two old-fashioned lovers,
In an Eighteenth Century Drawing Room.
Nothing is ever new,
Ever since love began,
See her two eyes of blue,
Flirting behind her fan.
Look at his silk and lace,
Isn't he debonair?
And the smile on his face
Tells of the love they share.
Hear their two hearts softly beat,
One moment more and their lips will meet.
What a sweet and charming picture,
Love in glory, love in bloom,
Don't you wish that we were
In an Eighteenth Century Drawing Room.
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In an Eighteenth Century Drawing Room (instrumental) was popularised by Ken Griffin at the organ. I first heard it on 'Melody Time with Ken Griffin at the organ'. This is played very much like a march.
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Links
BBC School Radio
www.bbc.co.uk/schoolradio/
National Arts Education Archive Database http://brs.leeds.ac.uk/
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