Birdsong that inspired great composers

At a recent meeting, the Bognor Regis Recorded Music Club welcomed Eric Bareham, the club's programme secretary, whose lecture appealed to both bird watchers and music lovers.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Dec 2008, 08:35 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 19:01 BST

With the aid of PowerPoint and a laptop, Eric skilfully displayed on a large screen the colourful plumage of ten birds, and asked his audience to first identify each one, and then identify the accompanying music.

Eric started with easier subjects: the black and white feathers of the magpie were instantly recognisable, and so was Rossini's sparkling overture The Thieving Magpie. After its ebullient performance by Sir Thomas Beecham conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, some excellently varied pieces such as Sibelius' Swan of Tuonela, Handel's Organ Concerto no 13 The Cuckoo and the Nightingale and Ravel's Mother Goose Suite, made for pleasant viewing and listening.

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As a complete contrast, Eric showed the picture of a small, insignificant brown bird '“ then Anita O'Day, the famous jazz singer, sang A nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square '“ a nostalgic treat for all.

Music which was new to many accompanied the image of a graceful, long-legged crane '“ Sibelius' Scene with Cranes from his Kuolema Suite.

After the first movement of Haydn's Symphony no 83 The Hen, Eric played an item which nobody identified, even though the image of a lark came first. It was one of Richard Strauss' Four Last Songs, sung by Gundula Janowicz with the Berlin Philharmoniker conducted by Herbert von Karajan. The text contains a reference to two larks.

The club's next meeting will be tonight when Julian Pelling will discuss The Best of 2008. Details from the secretary on 01243 827358.

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