Steve Gaunt Pontificates

Desert Island Disks

Ah, good old Auntie BBC, fair on all points always unbiased.
No, stop! I am being sarcastic here.

Some people think that there is a great difference between the work of the classic (mostly dead) composers, such as Chopin, Handel, Beethoven, Benjamin Brittain, etc, and people who write and perform the music we hear on the TV and radio most of the time what is known as popular music. examples being Bob Dylan, Carole King, Lennon and McCartney, Paul Simon, etc, - the list, like that of the old composers, is very long,

What annoys me is the belief that this (modern, mostly fairly short, and sometimes uncomplicated) music is of no account and the manifestation of this belief that annoys me the most, is the BBC Radio program Desert Island Disks.

Here is how it goes; a celebrity or someone of note, is invited to choose 10 pieces of music which they would take with them if they were to be stranded on a Desert Island. OK, fair enough, excellent premise. We get to know the musical taste of celebrities, fine.
The problem comes when the presenter describes the piece of music just played.

I am sure that the original concept of Desert island disks did not take into account that anyone of note would ever want listen to anything other than, so-called, classical music.

They (the producers) were perhaps quite miffed when in more recent years eminent people started asking for what the BBC calls pop music to be included in their list.

"Well", they must have said, "we cant have that can we."
But what to do to make sure that people don't get the wrong idea and think that the BEEB is attaching as much importance to this stuff as the misguided celebrities seem to be doing. So here is what they do....

The music ends and, if it was a classical piece, we get the full description, the composers full name, the key, the orchestra, the conductors name, and the name of the arranger.
E.g. "That was Beethovens 4th Symphony in B flat minor. Played by the London Philharmonic orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall on the 4th of November 1998, it was conducted by Sir Malcolm Sergeant, and arranged by Joseph Filakettle"

If it was a Beatles song we get "That was A Hard Day's Night by the Beatles".

Spot the difference?

Don't they think that the Beatles song had a composer? That there was no arranger, that it wasn't played in some key or other?

No sorry this is just another case of élitism and we deserve better.
I shouldn't think that I will ever be invited on Desert island disks but if I was you can be sure that I would insist on every piece of music I chose being treated in the same way.

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Old Mill Buildings	Old Mill Buildings 2
Jobs For Over 40's	The University Page
Kirklees Roads - Part 2	The Euro Debate
The UK Drugs Debate	Music Snobs
Aunty Beeb	Desert Island Disks
Fashion	The Internet
Response From Steve