Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg – Leeds's Singing Organ-Grinder

Your street organ repertoire proposals

Collected via the form. I’ve done basic arrangements of around 50 for the configuration that will be available to me and I’ll brush them up when I get hold of the instrument and can try things out. I’ll probably also post a few samples here in the interim. I’m not on Facebook any longer (yep,…

Tolstoy’s finch, linnet mania, and a false etymology of “shibboleth”

The following description of birdsong contests is taken from Josep Pla’s brilliant anecdotography of Rafael Puget, Un señor de Barcelona, and is mid- to late-19th century: Singing competitions A fondness for birdsong has existed in Manlleu, Barcelona province for as far back as my memory reaches. The “Societat d’aucellistes”, the Society of Bird-Fanciers, is very…

Wagnerworst

(Möchtet ihr nicht auch die Wurst versuchen?)