I. A musical tour of Britain
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A musical tour of Britain.
From North to South
If you ever did a musical tour of Britain, you might get some surprises. Electric guitarists and pop singers are not the only musicians to be heard. There are many strong, local traditions of music still very much alive today.
Lets start in the north, in Scotland. The national instrument is the bagpipes. Not everyone likes the sound it makes, but to the Scots, bagpipe music is the most exciting in the world. For centuries, up to the First World War, Scottish pipers led the soldiers into battle, played for their royal masters, and at weddings and funerals. The bagpipers are still very popular, and every town has a pipe band.
South over the Border, into the north of England, we come to the land of the brass band. This is the country of factories and coal mines, many of which have their own bands. Some of these are incredibly good. The Grimethorpe Colliery Band, for example, is internationally famous. The bands have an annual competition and Britains best classical composers write music especially for them.
Lets go south again, to central and southern England. Music is always to be found in the village church, where the choir sings the old hymns which every schoolchild learns. Here also, in the pub, you may meet a singer of old folk songs, or a troupe of dancing Morris men.
But now we must go west, for we will find the best choral music in Wales. The Welsh have always been famous for their singing. Even before the Romans came, 2,000 years ago, their bards were known to the ancient world. They still meet every year at the Eisteddfod, a Welsh competition. Now their male voice choirs are very popular, with their special rich, strong sound.
London, like all the great cities of Britain, has a long tradition of classical music. Every night English and international musicians perform in the concert halls and opera houses. London is one of the great classical music centres of the world.
Our music tour is over, and its time to catch our plane home. But in the London underground well pass some young buskers, singing or playing a guitar or a flute. They look modern enough, but dont be mistaken. People like them have been playing in the streets of Britain ever since history began.
2. Key: a) Eisteddfod. . Eisteddfod eisteddfod. Which is meant in the text? b) Aldeburgh Festival; c) Promenade Concert. , .
II. Music: the soundtrack of our lives
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| acceptable ancient blind beautiful characteristic cold-hearted courageous dangerous delicate delicious emotional enjoyable exotic extravagant fashionable | gentle marvellous old-fashioned remarkable ridiculous rhythmic snobbish specific surprising terrific ugly wonderful bountiful great awful | brilliant cheap colourful crazy difficult disgusting dramatic everyday famous graceful happy horrible military pretty talented |
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3.1) . . : Dont mix up. God save the Queen Let my people go.
Louis Armstrong sings the hymn Let my people go that sounds like a jazz song. Actually it belongs to Gospel Songs and Spirituals or religious songs that were created by black Americans.
3.2) .
The British anthem begins with the words God save the Queen. The British honour the Queen because she is the head of the state.
3.3) Key: P. M. , ( ), ( ). : There are official anthems and official and non-official anthems of different cities. : Does your city have an anthem?
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III. Music and Musicians
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) , . : bars, signature, tune (); peak, hearing ().
) Jigsaw reading.
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6.2) Key: Germany, Italy and Russia are considered to be musical countries.
7. : What pros and cons do you agree / disagree with?
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9.1. (. Scripts).
IV. All dressed up and going to the Prom
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2.1) Key: The orchestra plays classical music written by composers from all over the world.
2.2) Key: A conductor from any country can join the orchestra.
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4. , distracting, forbidden, to cough, to ensure, alarm ( ).
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4.3) . , , . , : to whisper during the concert, to unwrap chocolate bars, etc. , a bar , : ().
5. .
Did you enjoy the concert?
Im afraid I didnt.
Why?
Im sorry to say but I didn't hear well enough what was being played on the stage.
Did you?
One of my neighbours was constantly coughing, another was whispering to his girl-friend.
Oh boy! Couldnt you help it?
I asked that guy not to whisper but he didnt stop it.
6, 7. 6 to be going to...,...is said to.... . , , . .
inviting, refusing / accepting the invitation.
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Why not go to the concert?
I dont feel like going to a classical music concert. Are you sure well like it?
I am. The orchestra is going to play to full houses. Because they have Glinka, Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff in the programme. More than that their conductor is famous Svetlanov. The music is sure to overwhelm you with different feelings. Are you ready to join me?
Yes, I am. I will go to the concert. I believe your musical taste is very good.
Or:
I am afraid I am not. This music is not for me. I find it boring.
V. Many people choose pop
1.1) , (group from Liverpool The Beatles). , .
1.2) Key: Ray Charles, the late Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard.
2. .
Key: The word Beatles is combined of the words beetle and beat. In the early sixties it was popular to give names of insects to pop groups. The core of the creative work was beat, so it was not an ordinary beetle.
3. Key: Elvis Presley.
4.1) . : / .
6.1) : () , , :
When did you start singing?
Are / Were your parents musicians?
Do / Did they have an ear for music?
What kind of songs do you like to perform?
Is a performance just a joy or an ordinary work for you?
Do you have any musical prizes? If so, what are they? What did you receive them for?
What public do you like: in larger or smaller cities?
Do you compose songs yourself?
Who is your favourite composer?
What is your favourite book / film / performance / artist?
6.2)-3) , . .
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Roxette
Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson first met in Halmstad in Sweden in 1979 when Marie was playing the electric piano with a band called Strul. The group wasnt making a lot of money so she was also working in a hospital as a nurse, teaching music and working as a gardener. Per was spending his time weighing mushrooms, singing folk songs to sick people in hospitals and teaching in a school. Later, in the 1980s Per was performing in a group called Golden Times and Marie was a solo singer. They were both very successful and lots of people bought their records and went to their concerts. Per left his group and began to sing with Marie. An American student took a CD of their music home to Minneapolis and told his local radio station, You must play this record! The song was called The Look. After a few weeks, DJs all over America were playing the song. It wasnt long before The Look was number one in the American pop charts. Now they are very famous everywhere, but in Sweden they are of course superstars, you can even see their pictures on Swedish postage stamps.
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Clockwork
Since February 1989, when she had her first big hit, Paula Abdul has had fantastic success. Her records have been selling in millions.
She was born in 1963 in Los Angeles and lives there now. Her whole life is about song and dance as she says. She choreographed (planned) the dancing in the American Oscars and the films Coming to America and The Doors. In 1990 American high school students (students between the ages of 14 and 18) voted her the hero of Young America. The newspapers called her the The New Madonna. How does she feel about her success? Its wonderful, she says. I never expected it to be like this. Shes very happy if people compare her to Madonna. Madonna has had an incredible career. She is a hardworking girl whos achieved so much.
But Paula hasnt done everything yet. Shes been choreographing films for years but now she wants to star in one herself.
Clockwork
7. :
What does a CD cover look like?
What information would you as an agent suggest for a CD cover?
9. Key: A tapemate gives full information about a singer, the country he / she lives in, his / her habits, hobbies and family. It is used as a cassette cover.
10. , , ( tapemate). .
11. , message . . : positive opinion, negative opinion. .
