Music Appreciation
The Music Appreciation Group meets on the first Monday of the month at 2:30 pm in members’ homes. Duration – about two hours.
There is room for new members.
For more information contact Norman Dutton (Group Leader).
2024 Meetings:
| __Dates_ | ____Theme____ | _______________Comment______________ |
| January 1st | No meeting | New Year’s Day |
| February 5th | More Desert Island Choices | By popular request, a chance to share more of those mythical eight records. |
| March 4th | Obscure But Excellent | Anything that is not well known but should have more recognition. |
| April 1st | Music While You Work | Background music while doing tasks at home or with others anywhere. |
| May 6th | Where on Earth? | This could be music from outside the British Isles or whose genre is difficult to pin down. |
| June 3rd | The Armed Forces | Any connection with army, navy or air force and their activities. |
| July 1st | A Change of Direction | Where an artist or composer does something not in keeping with their previous output. |
| August 5th | Tales from the Opera or Musicals | A chance to bring stories into musical performances. |
| September 2nd | A Recent Discovery | Basically, a musical gem that you became aware of not long ago. |
| October 7th | That’s Soothing | Choices that leave you in a calmer mood after listening to them. |
| November 4th | A Dynamic Duo | Simply two musicians who work well together. |
| December 2nd | Down Memory Lane | Perhaps choices that you would not take to a desert island. |
2023 Meetings:
2 January Easy Does It! - A chance to calm down after Christmas perhaps?
6 February Desert Island Choices - Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs brings musical favourites and pieces with memories attached.
6 March I Really Don’t Like That! - A chance to explore what other people enjoy but does not do much for you.
3 April An odd one out - The unusual that stands out from other pieces or composers of the same genre.
1 May Music For the Media - Films, theatre and television etc. have music specifically written to accompany productions.
5 June The Great Outdoors - Both natural and man-made aspects of the countryside can be covered.
3 July Rhythm of Life - Life has repeated patterns and sequences that have been explored in music.
7 August Successful Comebacks - Examples where music of the past is re-discovered. and interest renewed.
4 September Those at the Back - The instrumentalists and vocalists who perform behind those at the front of the stage.
2 October You Make Me Feel Like… - Where a piece of music results in personal actions and reactions in response to it.
6 November An Electric Performance - Acoustic or amplified, some performances stand out from the rest.
4 December A Time for Reflection - As another year ends, pieces of music may reflect thoughts and events.
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2022 Meetings:
3 January Keep Calm…. Relax! - Which pieces or styles of music help people cope with stress?
7 February Difficult to Label - Those pieces posing problems for people who insist on categorising music.
7 March A Collaborative Effort - Can apply when two or more musicians work together in a new partnership.
4 April A Touch of the Exotic - The term ‘exotic’ is open to wide interpretation but often implies ‘not native’.
2 May Percussion at Work - Use of a group of musical instruments or music played in a percussive manner.
6 June Slow to Catch On - Sometimes the quality of the music was appreciated long after it was created.
4 July Animal Magic - Our fellow creatures can provide inspiration for musical ideas.
1 August Gone Forever - Artists and music of the past, but especially talents that can no longer be reproduced.
5 September Keep it in the Family - Not just relatives but families of musical instruments.
3 October Addicted to Bass - Where the focus is on the lower register, vocal or instrumental.
7 November That’s Original - Anything that is not predictable, or mainstream could qualify.
5 December Seasonal Variations - No indication in the title which season or which aspects are subject to variation.