Monday, October 18, 2010

Surreal start to the day...

The outdoor 'music & movement' class (or whatever it is; I suspect it's more of a 'patriotic education' session - the kids are usually singing March of the Volunteers and learning to goosestep) at the junior school around the corner from me is this morning playing..... Chattanooga Choo-choo!

A rather tinny version that sounds as if it's being played on a Stylophone....

This country never ceases to surprise me.  Surprise.... and baffle.... and....


3 comments:

Froog said...

And they're following that up with a lush orchestral arrangement of Summertime - sung in Chinese! Whiny, Beijing Opera-style Chinese - only just barely recognisable!!

It's an odd morning.

JES said...

"Stylophone" was a new one on me. (I thought you meant this, from the Futurama episode called "Parasites Lost.")

A couple of surreal musical moments captured here. Chinese music doesn't seem to fit into any musical profile I've ever understood.

Froog said...

I didn't look at the Wiki page on the Stylophone in much detail. Does it include a sample audio clip?

It was heavily advertised - by Rolf Harris (possibly another Wiki moment for you, JES?!) - in the early '70s, and became a ubiquitous (but soon discarded) Christmas present for kids of my generation.

It sounded like a door buzzer. Although if you hooked one up to a proper amplifier, the vibrato effect on it could be rather fun. And, of course, feedback.... well, I think my folks only let me do it once.