Robin Hill's Sunday Morning iPod Shuffle

What a beautiful morning it was here today.
As soon as we opened the curtains the sun streamed in and revealed a perfect Autumn day.
Robin's first words were:

"Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness'
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;"

He was of course quoting John Keats, 'Ode to Autumn', if you want to read the whole thing, it's here.

As I've said before, Sunday morning is a time to relax in our house.
We usually put the iPod on shuffle and see what happens.

Here's today's offering:

1) Santana
'No One to Depend On' from Santana lll (1971)

2) John McLaughlin
'The Way of the Pilgrim' with the Mahavishnu Orchestra.

3) Daniel Barenboim
Prelude from, 'The Well Tempered Clavier' by J.S.Bach

4) Spiderpig Theme Song
From 'The Simpsons Movie'. (caused much delight from sons numbers one and two....)

5) Joni Mitchell
'The Boho Dance' from 'The Hissing of Summer Lawn' (1975)

6) Andres Segovia
John Dowland - Song and Galliard

7) John McLaughlin (again!)
'Face to Face' from 'Natural Elements' (1977) Shakti

8) Julian Bream
Julian Bream and Peter Peers, 'What then is love', an Elizabethan song.

9) Pepe Romero
Pepe Romero with the 'Academy of St.Martin in the Field', Boccherini Guitar Quintet No.6 in G Major.

10) Jascha Heifetz
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concero: Canzonetta in D Major.

Just when we thought we had better get on with our day, the next item called up on the iPod was, 'Robin Hill's Eklectica: Claude Bolling's Concerto for Classic Guitar and Jazz Piano Trio, 3rd movement, 'Invention'.
What a fantastic way to start the day.

From Billy Cobham to John McLaughlin

Sunday morning = musical quiz here in Hillhouse and today it was a particularly upbeat affair.
We were given the task of recognising the time signature for two pieces. The first, Billy Cobham, 'Spectrum' from the album also named Spectrum. It's fast and furious and no matter how hard I tried to get in and count, I just couldn't do it. For those interested, I was informed by an amused Robin that it is in 7/8 time.
Fuelled by his success, he put another track on.
John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, 'Miles Beyond', from the album 'Birds of Fire'.
Robin was obviously intent on winning this morning. It starts in 4/4 time but moves swiftly on to 9/4. No, I didn't get that one either.
Incidentally, John McLaughlin appears to be a dog lover as two of his album covers sport Labrador/Retriever dogs, and I was pleased to see we aren't the only ones who allow our dogs on the furniture.
He, and any other dog lovers, may be interested in an article by Roger Highfield, 'Dogs' behaviour - it's all in the wag.' Apparently dogs wag their tails to the right when they are pleased to see you, and to the left when they secretly want to run away!
We have been studying our two canine friends in the interest of science. The results are mixed. Milly, dependable, loyal and aged 7, has a definite right sided wag. Miss Bimps obviously hasn't read the article and has an equal sway in either direction. She, however, is the 'dotty' one, and it isn't as much her tail that wags but the whole body making it difficult to assess.
In the light of my musical failings this morning I sent Robin, (he'd already done a few hours guitar practice), sons and dogs off to the park so that I could play Aretha Franklin, 'I Say a Little Prayer', very loudly, and sing along. No-one sings it like Aretha, and certainly not me...