England's National Musical-Instrument?

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: GUEST,Smokey
Date: 22 Nov 08 - 05:40 PM

Absolutely right, P. The concept is nonsensical and the starting of this thread was intended to be inflammatory, although it has brought up a lot of interesting information. There has been some benefit from it thanks to the patience and tolerance of some contributors - yourself included, it would seem.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 22 Nov 08 - 05:50 PM

It seems to me that an English identity is oppositional, and is sharpened by the need for definition AGAINST those over a border (to Scotland or Wales)

I think it's arguable that this is also true of Scottish and Welsh national identities. Certainly there's a big difference between people who make political assertions of the Scottish or Welsh cultural heritage, on one hand, and people who are actually involved with Scottish & Welsh culture on the other. The latter tend to be keenly aware of the different cultural forms which flourish in different parts of the country, even at as basic a level as language (Scots vs Scots Gaelic, North Walian vs South Walian vs English).

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: peregrina
Date: 22 Nov 08 - 05:58 PM

Yes, precisely Pip. People identify with the larger unit in opposition to the other larger unit. Historically, though, I believe that England took longer to be ruled by one king than Wales or Scotland, so one might argue that the notion of an English identity is more recent than for the others. In any case, it's preposterous to look for an English national instrument when there are so many regional variations in language, food, even musical style and song repertoire.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: GUEST,Woody
Date: 22 Nov 08 - 06:47 PM

WAV you can dress it up all you want but your recordings fail on a basic musical level -


Your singing is in a different musical key to your playing
Your singing fails to stay in tune within its key
The timing is all over the place


However E.Trads were performed in the past, you can pretty much guarantee that they were sung in key with any instruments, in tune, and with correct timing, or else their peers would have ridiculed them. I'm just old enough to remember people singing around the piano in the pub, and anybody as bad as you would have been mercilessly mocked unless very old or very young.


You can come up with all sorts of stuff about opinion or whatever but your recordings are just rubbish because you're failing to achieve the bare minimum of technical competence, and failing by a long way. It's not that difficult, my daughter can do it and she's only just over 3 feet tall and still believes in Father Christmas (sorry if I've ruined the magic for anybody!).

These issues could plausibly be down to a degree of tone-deafness which can affect all the above areas, so maybe you should get yourself checked out? See some of the tests at http://jakemandell.com/

I suspect however that you're just lazy and lack the necessary degree of constructive self-criticism required to achieve any quality as this would be consistent with the general standard of your posts, poetry and opinions. You seriously need some kind of tuition, something that will take you through the basics, and you need to learn to critically listen to what you're producing. Your current postings are embarrassing!

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 22 Nov 08 - 07:35 PM

my CD

One suspects, Wavy that that should actually be CD-R - which is to say R for recordable - those things you run off on your computer for a minimal outlay and which are, in any case, a very different beast to your actual CD. Be careful with your trades descriptions, or else misleading your public as to what they're actually buying (much less buying into) at a rather hefty £8 a throw...

I find it intriguing that the focus here is ENGLISH

This is because Wavy is a naturalised AUSTRALIAN who has fabricated a fantasy of Englishness based on a set of anachronistic & otherwise risible clichés designed solely to demonstrate his hostility to immigrant cultures which he perceives as posing a threat to Our Own Good Culture as he has defined it. He has no understanding of the regional diversities and identities (much less those of a socio-economic nature) which are the defining attributes of the realities of English, and indeed British, culture which is ultimately composed of innumerable elements any one of which being as crucial to an appreciation of the whole as any of the individuals who populate this England of ours. That this cultural identity exists in a state of constant & inevitable flux is not something our ultra-reactionary friend can stomach, feeling as he does that England was a more English place 50 years ago and choosing, therefore, to make his home in the most English region of England according to this evidently racist criteria. This is not so much a matter of name-calling as it is one of naming, and defining, indeed of outing him as the malicious malcontent we know him to be on account of the material he publishes to promote his ultra-right wing political convictions that have brought him in recent years to both Folk Music, and to this Forum, where, all things considered, he gets a fair hearing given his incessant trolling and arrogant self-aggrandisement.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: s&r
Date: 23 Nov 08 - 05:08 AM

Woody I agree with most of what yousay but I don't think WAV is lazy at all. His output of all sorts of stuff is prolific.

I do think that he doesn't know how much work (practice, research, editing, reviewing, listening) is needed to acquire a degree of expertise in anything. He publishes before he is ready, and in trying to defend his publication finds himself in an entrenched position from which he cannot extricate himself.

Instead of reading the posts of others and internalizing, he either ignores them or refers them to previous posts and publications as some sort of verbal tennis match.

I wonder (apart from punctuation which has improved) whether any post from anyone has modified his intransigent opinions one iota.

Stu

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Don Firth
Date: 23 Nov 08 - 02:58 PM

Throughout all of these threads, I certainly haven't noticed any acknowledgement, much less appreciation, of attempts to help him musically, or any changes in his rock-headed opinions. It appears to be a case of monumental egotism with absolutely nothing to be egotistical about.

Sad case!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: GUEST,surreysinger
Date: 23 Nov 08 - 03:00 PM

Stu, I don't think that there;s any question on that point , not one jot, tittle or iota of change is apparent

Subject: RE:endless loop
From: peregrina
Date: 23 Nov 08 - 03:06 PM

The title of the thread is 'England's national musical instrument' not bash WAV. Since he repeats himself, and the others repeat themselves, I shall follow the convention and do the same. There are some points that could be pursued in a real discussion. One would be about regional English musical identities.

I find it intriguing that the focus here is ENGLISH rather than, say, Lincolnshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire or Northumbrian regional instruments.

It seems to me that an English identity is oppositional, and is sharpened by the need for definition AGAINST those over a border (to Scotland or Wales). It is, in other words, self definition that is negatively constructed AGAINST a non-English OTHER.

Whereas a regional area identity is far more 'real' in the sense of being associated with specific regional dialect, food, field and farming traditions, vernacular architecture and so forth.
There is no homogenous pan-English identity--it's a label of political designation , but any investigation looking for an English instrument that had any historical depth would have to take account of regional diversity.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 23 Nov 08 - 03:38 PM

The only instrument developed wholly in England is the English Concertina (as I said many miles up). The only Scottish person I know who plays one is Simon Thoumire and he studiously avoids referring to it as "English", just as a concertina.

Just sayin" . . .

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Don Firth
Date: 23 Nov 08 - 04:10 PM

"There is no homogenous pan-English identity--it's a label of political designation , but any investigation looking for an English instrument that had any historical depth would have to take account of regional diversity."

peregrina, this is what people here have been saying all along, in response to David's adamant espousal of a "return" to a non-existent, monolithic "good English culture" that he fancies existed in the 1950s.

And another issue is David's constant admonitions to singers and scholars, some very prominent in the field, who have devoted much of their lives to learning about and presenting traditional songs and ballads (he, having become interested in traditional music four years ago, and all he knows about folk music—admittedly—is what he has gleaned from a few television programs) that they are singing it all wrong, and, among other things, should not be allowed to sing anything but songs from their own "cultures." (And who, pray tell, is going to enforce this?). This includes telling me (an American) that I should not sing the English and Scottish songs and ballads I love, but confine myself to "country rock," which he seems to regard as true American folk music, or better still "Amerindian chanting and drumming."

No. This is not a "bash WAV" thread. David has presented his ideas, both musical and political, and people are letting him know that they strenuously disagree with him.

And this, while trying to give him helpful advice on how to improve his own singing! (Which he ignores.)

Don Firth

P. S. I believe the matter of "England's National Musical Instrument" has been thoroughly discussed and has been answered long since and again immediately above.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: peregrina
Date: 23 Nov 08 - 04:14 PM

The 'national' in national instrument is open to several interpretations.

If it means that the instrument was invented, patented, and also produced in England, then surely the Overton whistle (despite some Irish associations) has a claim alongside the English concertina.

If it means the instrument most readily associated with England in popular perception, then the popular perception needs investigation.

If it means that instrument most often played in England, likewise, that needs investigation.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 23 Nov 08 - 04:31 PM

In the middle of last night I was devising an exercise for WAV whereby he played a scale on his plastic thing and then repeated it, stopping at various intervals to insert a vocal note, until he was comfortable about hitting the notes accurately at whatever point in whichever scale he played.
(Actually, it might seem obvious to most people here that he ought to be practicing scales and arpeggios on a daily basis anyway, though doubtless he considers himself above all that so it would be a complete waste of time to recommend it).

I have just been introduced to a performer called Bishi who is described on MySpace as "folk/glam/powerpop". Someone said she's a bit like Abba, but no, they were always in tune (if nothing else). Possibly it could be arranged for she and WAV to meet up and sail off cacophonically into the sunset.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: GUEST,Woody
Date: 25 Nov 08 - 03:52 AM

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: s&r

Woody I agree with most of what yousay but I don't think WAV is lazy at all. His output of all sorts of stuff is prolific.

I say he is lazy because it's easy to produce lots of rubbish, the hard work is in the refining of basic output. Anybody that has learned a musical instrument to any degree of competence knows that getting a tune out of the instrument is easy. The thing that really takes work is learning to produce something of quality.

I've been playing Anglo Concertina for about the same amount of time that WAV has been into folk music and by no means would I describe myself as even being competent with the instrument - I reckon that's another year or two away, and being good at it will be many years more, but I'm getting there. I can pick up a new traditional tune and be playing it far better than WAV's efforts in about 5 minutes, but to get it to a level at which I'd consider it good enough for playing to others would probably take days at least. Performers such as Eliza FC or Squeezy will probably spend more time obsessing on and refining one particular tune than WAV has spent in total playing.

WAV is not prepared to do the hard work required to achieve any quality. This is why I think he's lazy.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 25 Nov 08 - 04:13 AM

His output of all sorts of stuff is prolific.

This isn't the case at all. WAV no longer writes poetry, and no longer travels; he has learned his 17 E. Trads, and 17 E. Hymns and has no intention of learning any more; these, along with 17 self-penned Chants form his entire performance repertoire. At singarounds he very carefully performs of his own chants and, if he gets another, he'll sing an E. Trad (showing us where his priorities lie). Basically, he is on a repeat cycle of endless repetition of his Life's Work & the promotion of same - no new songs, no new thoughts, no new insights, no chance of ever changing his mind because he has reached his CONCLUSIONS.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 25 Nov 08 - 06:04 AM

Diane thats an horrendous idea, what if they breed ?

eric

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: KEVINOAF
Date: 25 Nov 08 - 06:17 AM

THIS THREAD HAS WANDERED WAY OFF TOPIC
i.e what is englands' musical insstrument?
I nominaated the ARSE-TRUMPET to redirect it to the original theme
The english propensity for talking from this oriface has manifested itself magnificently on this thread. and now it reveals a few candidates who might show promise here at the MUDCAT!

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: GUEST,Surreysinger
Date: 25 Nov 08 - 09:22 AM

Including you, presumably Kevin? You were hardly directing the thread to its original theme!!!

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 25 Nov 08 - 12:11 PM

English Teeth! English Teeth!
Shining in the sun
A part of British Heritage
Aye, each and every one.

English Teeth, English Teeth!
Always having fun
Clamping down on bits of fish
And sausages half-done.

English Teeth! HEROES' Teeth!
Hear them click! and clack!
Let's sing a song of praise to them -
Three Cheers for the Brown, Grey and Black.

- Spike Milligan

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: s&r
Date: 25 Nov 08 - 12:14 PM

I stand corrected Woody.

Stu

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Sleepy Rosie
Date: 25 Nov 08 - 12:20 PM

Lol!
Cheers for the Milligan, Mr. Campion.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: s&r
Date: 25 Nov 08 - 12:22 PM

Jus t by the way folks - this thread was never about musical instrument. It is one of a number started by WAV to slip in his strange views:

The Weekly Walkabout (self promotion to get hits on his website)
England's National Musical Instrument (to lecture us on his views on the tenor recorder and the world)
Foreign Farce Football (to say we should get rid of foreigners)
5000 Morris Dancers (to say we shouldn't do foreign dances or play foreign music)
Ryder Cup (Anti American, anti foregners)
No Olympics Football (anti UK)
Olympics or Globalization (anti Immigration)
An English Folk Awards (Anti UK)
Green Godly Gardening (anti foreign plants)

Stu

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 25 Nov 08 - 12:33 PM

Diane cum Cupid and Woody - I "do ra me..." sometimes but prefer to work at my intonation by "playing a line, singing a line" as that aids with memory as well. And I love the timbre of the English concertina.

Don and IB - you've again distorted what I've said, as you both distorted "Engrish frute" when describing a recorder made in Japan. (But your second post, IB, is fair enough.) And, Don, to use a cricket/baseball analogy, I'd like to think I do play each ball on it's merits and have given credit where due – even when someone has been extremely nasty elsewhere.

Smokey Stu- I genuinely didn't know, e.g., the answer to England's Nat. Mus. Inst.

"He publishes before he is ready" (Stu)...before I sat down to write, I stood to find my way through about 40 countries on a shoestring, and achieve some 4 tech. certificates and a degree in humanities.

Peregrina - some countyism fits okay within my kind of nationalism...

Poem 84 of 230: NATIONALISM WITHOUT CONQUEST

Everything in moderation?
    Well...with "nationalism" it's true:
It can carry unique cultures on,
    But, overdosed, cause their conquest, too.

From walkaboutsverse.741.com

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Don Firth
Date: 25 Nov 08 - 01:42 PM

"Don and IB - you've again distorted what I've said, as you both distorted "Engrish frute" when describing a recorder made in Japan. (But your second post, IB, is fair enough.) And, Don, to use a cricket/baseball analogy, I'd like to think I do play each ball on it's merits and have given credit where due – even when someone has been extremely nasty elsewhere."

David, referring to the "Engrish frute" pun, go back to the post in which it was originally used and refresh your memory. You've either lost the thread or never understood it in the first place.

As to the "cricket/baseball analogy," what in blazes are you talking about?

And once again you wave your four technical certificates and your degree in humanities around. You could have forty technical certificates and a degree in every field in the university's catalog and still not be sufficiently educated to produce anything worthy of publication. The purpose of formal education is to teach one how to learn, not just to stuff your head full of data. As you are getting the certificate or the degree, that's when your real education should begin. And if it doesn't continue after you receive the diploma, then the diploma is as worthless as last week's newspaper.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: GUEST,Woody
Date: 25 Nov 08 - 02:24 PM

From: WalkaboutsVerse

Diane cum Cupid and Woody - I "do ra me..." sometimes but prefer to work at my intonation by "playing a line, singing a line" as that aids with memory as well.

You are clueless. You can't even do the basics.


and achieve some 4 tech. certificates and a degree in humanities.

Which of these equipped you with the skills for writing poetry?
Which of these equipped you with musical knowledge & playing skills?

Was one the infamous "City & Guilds Certificate in basic Fork Lift driving, romance poetry, and folk song" that has led to so much tragedy?


And I love the timbre of the English concertina.

OK, as you seem to want to talk about the English Concertina, do please enlighten me....

What do you mean when referring to the timbre of the English Concertina?
Please explain how the timbre of an English Concertina differs from an Anglo or Duet Concertina?

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: GUEST,Smokey
Date: 25 Nov 08 - 03:43 PM

Smokey Stu- I genuinely didn't know, e.g., the answer to England's Nat. Mus. Inst.

I wasn't implying that you did know the answer, my point was that you knew that there was no answer, and that it was merely a device to attract attention to yourself in order to propagate views which you already knew were unpopular and offensive to some. I would be genuinely fascinated to hear your reasons for doing that.

Don - I think your views on education are absolutely spot-on, even more so now degrees seem to be ten-a-penny in the UK.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: GUEST,eliza c
Date: 26 Nov 08 - 07:01 AM

"Everything in moderation?
    Well...with "nationalism" it's true:
It can carry unique cultures on,
    But, overdosed, cause their conquest, too."


Like the Gypsies, for instance?

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Paul Burke
Date: 26 Nov 08 - 07:09 AM

Nationalism can mean different things:

(1) Hey, look here, we've have great fun doing things our way! Come and join in!
(2) We're us, and you are different, so bugger off and leave us alone. You say this is your house? Well there, we've burnt it down, so now bugger off before we kill you.

I know which I prefer.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Stu
Date: 26 Nov 08 - 07:41 AM

Punctuation WAV. For Christ's sake learn how to use the language before attempting to write it.

Dear Gwalia! I know there are
Towns lovelier than ours,
And fairer hills and loftier far,
And groves more full of flowers,

And boskier woods more blithe with spring
And bright with birds' adorning,
And sweeter bards than I to sing
Their praise this beauteous morning.

By Cader Idris, tempest-torn,
Or Moel yr Wyddfa's glory,
Carnedd Llewelyn beauty born,
Plinlimmon old in story,

By mountains where King Arthur dreams,
By Penmaenmawr defiant,
Llaregyb Hill a molehill seems,
A pygmy to a giant.

By Sawdde, Senny, Dovey, Dee,
Edw, Eden, Aled, all,
Taff and Towy broad and free,
Llyfnant with its waterfall,

Claerwen, Cleddau, Dulais, Daw,
Ely, Gwili, Ogwr, Nedd,
Small is our River Dewi, Lord,
A baby on a rushy bed.

By Carreg Cennen, King of time,
Our Heron Head is only
A bit of stone with seaweed spread
Where gulls come to be lonely.

A tiny dingle is Milk Wood
By Golden Grove 'neath Grongar,
But let me choose and oh! I should
Love all my life and longer

To stroll among our trees and stray
In Goosegog Lane, on Donkey Down,
And hear the Dewi sing all day,
And never, never leave the town.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Sue Allan
Date: 26 Nov 08 - 07:57 AM

Once again drifted in here after weeks away ... and gobsmacked to find WAV still pontificating. Why has this man not found a job yet? There are plenty of them around, even if they may not be what he feels he wants. After you've been out of work so long it's incumbent upon you to take ANYTHING. It makes me really angry to see you moving back to the UK, so you can hold forth with your way-off-beam and sometimes repulsive views, advertising your ignorance about so many topics whilst DRAWING OUR GOOD ENGLISH BENEFITS David. Have you no sense of guilt and shame at all?

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 26 Nov 08 - 08:17 AM

He's got no sense full stop.

eric

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: GUEST,Ralphie
Date: 26 Nov 08 - 08:42 AM

Thought this abomination of a thread had died with the Mudcat upgrade.
Sadly not....
WAV is still tweaking all our worst feelings.
Let him go.......Please!!!
He really isn't worth it...Jesus 1600 posts and counting????
We are better than this, people.
He'll no doubt appear again, another place another time.
People like him always do.
So, everybody......DEEP BREATH.....DO NOT RESPOND AGAIN>>>>>EVER!!
Yes It's hard, but it is the only way to expunge this odious man from our lives.
I will try to resist temptation....(But will probably fail)
Regards Ralph Jordan

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Nov 08 - 08:44 AM

91   TAX

The flouting statement is rife -
    How death and taxes are
The two certainties of life.

And both, to be sure, do hold
    Lores of being a shame -
Thus, backing one may seem bold.

But taxes it seems to me -
    When used the correct ways -
Are good for humanity.

It's natural to compete,
    But cultural to share -
And tax keeps folks off the street.

For, to open the unfair trap -
    No job, no means, no job -
Welfare the poor must tap.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 26 Nov 08 - 09:47 AM

England's national benefit system is the workhouse.

Or a bit before that, getting a bag of peasemeal and a jug of buttermilk once a week from the parish.

Not many workhouse inmates got to set up their own websites.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 26 Nov 08 - 12:54 PM

Woody - timbre (not to be confused with timber) is the quality/nature of the sound, which does vary slightly between the concertinas - and, yes, in anticipation, I have heard English, duet, and Anglo at folk clubs.

Smokey - via IB, according to Wiki., we now know the answer is the bell; and I don't believe my life's work is "offensive" at all: I think it's a good way forward for humanity - otherwise I wouldn't "propogate" it.

And I also agree regarding the merits of BOTH informal and formal study.

"Punctuation WAV. For Christ's sake learn how to use the language before attempting to write it." (Stigweard)...and how about quoting?

Eliza - I said "in moderation."

And no idea which Guest took the liberty of posting my poem # 91 from the same above site/link.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 26 Nov 08 - 01:50 PM

Woody - timbre (not to be confused with timber) is the quality/nature of the sound, which does vary slightly between the concertinas - and, yes, in anticipation, I have heard English, duet, and Anglo at folk clubs.

Jolly good. And how would you describe the difference between English and other concertinas, with regard to their timbres? That's the question Woody was asking.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: GUEST,Woody
Date: 26 Nov 08 - 02:27 PM

Thanks WAV for assuming that if I don't know the meaning of a word I must be incapable of looking it up.

Thanks Pip for explaining what I did mean to WAV.

For more clarification WAV....

So you've heard the Anglo, English and Duet systems played at folk clubs and you've decided that you like the timbre of the English Concertina? In that case, as you've obviously given it some serious thought, you should be able to explain your decision process, what you consider the difference to be between the timbre of the three systems, and what it is about the timbre of the English system that makes it stand out from the others for you.

I'm sure the Concertina players on this site are looking forward to your answer.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 26 Nov 08 - 02:49 PM

Omigod.

Other players have explained far higher up why it was that they took up this or that concertina system. Because it was there. I (for example) began to play the English because a very fine player lived upstairs. Not actually because it was more "pure". A friend of mine at the time took up the Duet because someone who was already learning it offered to teach her. Music is filled with those who play whatever they play by chance. Nobody gets anywhere though without practice, practice and practice. I was talking to a banjo player recently who's been at it since his first lesson from Peggy Seeger 50 years ago. He's still practicing.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Don Firth
Date: 26 Nov 08 - 03:28 PM

". . . practice, practice, and practice."

My first guitar was a steel-string because that's what other people around me were playing. Then I switched to a nylon-string classic because I liked the mellower sound, and my hands are fairly big, so I liked the wider fingerboard. My choice of instruments had nothing to do with the history of the guitar as a musical instrument. I have one guitar made in Spain, one made in Japan, and one made in San Diego, California. I can tell them apart of course, but anyone else would have to look at the label to know where they are from.

I have been learning to play the guitar since the early 1950s. I am still practicing and learning. If I live long enough, I may even become a fairly competent guitarist.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: GUEST,Smokey
Date: 26 Nov 08 - 05:26 PM

Smokey - via IB, according to Wiki., we now know the answer is the bell; and I don't believe my life's work is "offensive" at all: I think it's a good way forward for humanity - otherwise I wouldn't "propogate" (sic) it.

I think we're all well aware of your opinion of your life's "work" by now Wav, and I would have thought that you were aware of the general opinion here, and the fact that most people do not agree with you.

Perhaps you should learn to play 'the bell', it might suit your learning technique and inimitable musical style. Or you could just wear it around your neck.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: s&r
Date: 26 Nov 08 - 06:29 PM

I have noticed that Japanese recorders have a different timbre from German recorders.

Look up when to use 'it's'
Look up when and how to use brackets.

Stu

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 27 Nov 08 - 02:41 AM

I've never heard more arrogant shite, " my lifes work, a good way forward for humanity, " does he think he's the new messiah or what ?

eric

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Dave (Bridge)
Date: 27 Nov 08 - 02:52 AM

Is it not time people stopped pandering to the needs of this person. We are all doing what he wants. That is prolonging a stupid argument, whilst he sits back and laughs. Notice how he is not as involved recently.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Stu
Date: 27 Nov 08 - 03:34 AM

He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Goose Gander
Date: 27 Nov 08 - 03:47 AM

This thread has NOTHING to do with "Englands's national musical instrument" . . . could someone PLEASE end this farce?

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 27 Nov 08 - 03:55 AM

Oh, there's LOTS in this thread about music as it is actually played by the diverse population of this place called England today, much of it valuable. Certainly this wasn't the OP's intention, and the other strand of the thread has been informing him how muddled and wrong his ridiculous ideology is.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Paul Burke
Date: 27 Nov 08 - 05:03 AM

No need to log off, WAV, you've told us before. Odd that someone can do so much travel and education without learning much.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: Paul Burke
Date: 27 Nov 08 - 05:07 AM

And where's Leadfingers when you need him?

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: TheSnail
Date: 27 Nov 08 - 05:11 AM

Just thought I'd drop in to see how people were getting on. At a rough count, out of the last 125 posts, seven are from WAV. He only needs to give th occasional gentle prod to keep you all on your toes.

Subject: RE: England's National Musical-Instrument?
From: GUEST,JM
Date: 27 Nov 08 - 05:42 AM

I haven't dropped in for a while - I have better things to do, but haven't we already found out that WAV's "shoestring-travel through about forty countries" amounted to just one summer travelling - i.e. only a day or so in each country?