Tonic Jukebox History
WEEK 28 - Flying
For a change we start the week with a poem.
Monday September 21
First Flight (a poem)
Taken from Tonic Choir's RAF100 show, Flying without Feathers.
https://musicforchoirs.weebly.com/first-flight.html
(when you get to this page, click on the triangle)
Chorus of Sailors from Wagner's The Flying Dutchman
The Flying Dutchman is a legendary ghost ship which was said to never be able to make port, doomed to sail the oceans forever. Richard Wagner's opera of that name dates from 1843 and has a central theme of redemption through love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE1NyYT31Tw
The main chorus ends at about 3:20
Tuesday September 22
Electricity: Flying like a bird (from Billy Elliot: The Musical)
The music is by Elton John, and the book and lyrics are by Lee Hall. The plot revolves around Billy, a motherless British boy who begins taking ballet lessons. The story of his personal struggle and fulfilment are balanced against a counter-story of family and community strife caused by the 1984–85 UK miners' strike in County Durham, in North East England. The musical premiered in 2005 and was nominated for nine Laurence Olivier Awards, winning four, including Best New Musical.
Two versions of the song, both with accompanying dance, for you to enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muBrh7Y5ZL0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfWFZ3iL7NA
Wednesday September 23
High Flying Adored (from Evita)
Evita is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics and book by Tim Rice. It concentrates on the life of Argentine political leader Eva Perón, the second wife of Argentine President Juan Perón. The story follows Evita's early life, rise to power, charity work, and eventual death. The musical began as a rock opera concept album released in 1976. Its success led to productions in London's West End in 1978, winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical, and on Broadway a year later, where it was the first British musical to receive the Tony Award for Best Musical. The film dates from 1996 and stars Madonna as Eva, Jonathan Pryce as Eva's husband Juan Perón, and Antonio Banderas as Ché, an everyman who acts as the film's narrator.
Personal insight: The year is 1968 and two young men are walking along Wardour Street in London. Having been rejected numerous times they are on their way to see yet another theatrical agent. He is David Land, whose main claim to fame is managing the Dagenham Girl Pipers. He has offices above Paul Barnett Limited, hairdressers and tobacconist. They hope Land will sponsor them to finish their first full musical. For reasons even he does not understand, he agrees and they are able to complete Jesus Christ Superstar. This is quickly followed by Evita and Land's gamble has paid off. He still asked for a discount every time he bought something in our shop. However, we did get a copy of the Evita concept album before it was released.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGHLt_BARTY
Thursday September 24
The Ride (or Flight) of the Valkyries (from Die Walküre)
In Norse mythology, the Valkyries were a group of maidens who served the god Odin and were sent by him to the battlefields to choose the slain who were worthy of a place in Valhalla. They rode to the battlefield on horses, wearing helmets and shields. In some accounts, they flew through the air. (Britannica)
The Ride of the Valkyries refers to the beginning of Act 3 of Die Walküre, the second of the four operas constituting Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen. As a separate piece this is often heard in a purely instrumental version. Together with the Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin, the Ride (or Flight) of the Valkyries is one of Wagner's best-known pieces. The music was famously used in the film Apocalypse Now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeRwBiu4wfQ
Just in case Wagner is not for you, here is an alternative flight for today.
Flight of the Bumblebee
Flight of the Bumblebee is an orchestral interlude written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, composed around 1900. The music is intended to evoke the flying pattern of a bumblebee.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QV1RGMLUKE
Friday September 25
Walking in the Air
Walking in the Air is a song written by Howard Blake for the 1982 animated film of Raymond Briggs' 1978 children's book The Snowman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31mjvrydaLM
Let’s go fly a kite (from Mary Poppins)
Mary Poppins is a 1964 musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney, with songs written and composed by the Sherman Brothers. The film stars Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson and Glynis Johns.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNSler7jBWs
Weekend September 26/27
Two songs to complete our week of flying.
Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines
Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines; Or, How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes is a 1965 British comedy film featuring an international ensemble cast including Stuart Whitman, Sarah Miles, Robert Morley, Terry-Thomas, James Fox, Red Skelton, Benny Hill, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Gert Fröbe and Alberto Sordi. The film, revolving around the craze of early aviation, was directed and co-written by Ken Annakin, with a musical score by Ron Goodwin. (Wikipedia)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05rrOsKsmqM
The Tonic Choir version from Sept 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlRQktxVwQw
The Dambusters March
The Dam Busters March is the theme to the 1955 British war film The Dam Busters. It was written by Eric Coates. Amongst his work you will know By The Sleepy Lagoon which is introduces every episode of Desert Island Discs (1942 and still running), and Calling All Workers which became the theme tune for Music While You Work (1940-1967).
Coates' son, Austin Coates, recounted in a BBC radio interview that the march was not written for The Dam Busters. It just so happened his father had been carrying out an exercise in composing a march that emulated the musical forms of Edward Elgar. It was only a few days after completing the composition that Coates was contacted by the film's producers. Coates had a profound dislike of writing film music and turned down the producers' numerous requests. Not until they told him that this was "a film of national importance" did he agree. On hearing more about the film, he came to the conclusion that the piece he had just finished would be a perfect overture. (Wikipedia)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K32Adi8nmzA
Another classic Tonic Choir performance from Sept 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgdG1M-WrW0
First Flight (a poem)
Taken from Tonic Choir's RAF100 show, Flying without Feathers.
https://musicforchoirs.weebly.com/first-flight.html
(when you get to this page, click on the triangle)
Chorus of Sailors from Wagner's The Flying Dutchman
The Flying Dutchman is a legendary ghost ship which was said to never be able to make port, doomed to sail the oceans forever. Richard Wagner's opera of that name dates from 1843 and has a central theme of redemption through love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE1NyYT31Tw
The main chorus ends at about 3:20
Tuesday September 22
Electricity: Flying like a bird (from Billy Elliot: The Musical)
The music is by Elton John, and the book and lyrics are by Lee Hall. The plot revolves around Billy, a motherless British boy who begins taking ballet lessons. The story of his personal struggle and fulfilment are balanced against a counter-story of family and community strife caused by the 1984–85 UK miners' strike in County Durham, in North East England. The musical premiered in 2005 and was nominated for nine Laurence Olivier Awards, winning four, including Best New Musical.
Two versions of the song, both with accompanying dance, for you to enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muBrh7Y5ZL0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfWFZ3iL7NA
Wednesday September 23
High Flying Adored (from Evita)
Evita is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics and book by Tim Rice. It concentrates on the life of Argentine political leader Eva Perón, the second wife of Argentine President Juan Perón. The story follows Evita's early life, rise to power, charity work, and eventual death. The musical began as a rock opera concept album released in 1976. Its success led to productions in London's West End in 1978, winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical, and on Broadway a year later, where it was the first British musical to receive the Tony Award for Best Musical. The film dates from 1996 and stars Madonna as Eva, Jonathan Pryce as Eva's husband Juan Perón, and Antonio Banderas as Ché, an everyman who acts as the film's narrator.
Personal insight: The year is 1968 and two young men are walking along Wardour Street in London. Having been rejected numerous times they are on their way to see yet another theatrical agent. He is David Land, whose main claim to fame is managing the Dagenham Girl Pipers. He has offices above Paul Barnett Limited, hairdressers and tobacconist. They hope Land will sponsor them to finish their first full musical. For reasons even he does not understand, he agrees and they are able to complete Jesus Christ Superstar. This is quickly followed by Evita and Land's gamble has paid off. He still asked for a discount every time he bought something in our shop. However, we did get a copy of the Evita concept album before it was released.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGHLt_BARTY
Thursday September 24
The Ride (or Flight) of the Valkyries (from Die Walküre)
In Norse mythology, the Valkyries were a group of maidens who served the god Odin and were sent by him to the battlefields to choose the slain who were worthy of a place in Valhalla. They rode to the battlefield on horses, wearing helmets and shields. In some accounts, they flew through the air. (Britannica)
The Ride of the Valkyries refers to the beginning of Act 3 of Die Walküre, the second of the four operas constituting Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen. As a separate piece this is often heard in a purely instrumental version. Together with the Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin, the Ride (or Flight) of the Valkyries is one of Wagner's best-known pieces. The music was famously used in the film Apocalypse Now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeRwBiu4wfQ
Just in case Wagner is not for you, here is an alternative flight for today.
Flight of the Bumblebee
Flight of the Bumblebee is an orchestral interlude written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, composed around 1900. The music is intended to evoke the flying pattern of a bumblebee.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QV1RGMLUKE
Friday September 25
Walking in the Air
Walking in the Air is a song written by Howard Blake for the 1982 animated film of Raymond Briggs' 1978 children's book The Snowman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31mjvrydaLM
Let’s go fly a kite (from Mary Poppins)
Mary Poppins is a 1964 musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney, with songs written and composed by the Sherman Brothers. The film stars Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson and Glynis Johns.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNSler7jBWs
Weekend September 26/27
Two songs to complete our week of flying.
Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines
Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines; Or, How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes is a 1965 British comedy film featuring an international ensemble cast including Stuart Whitman, Sarah Miles, Robert Morley, Terry-Thomas, James Fox, Red Skelton, Benny Hill, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Gert Fröbe and Alberto Sordi. The film, revolving around the craze of early aviation, was directed and co-written by Ken Annakin, with a musical score by Ron Goodwin. (Wikipedia)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05rrOsKsmqM
The Tonic Choir version from Sept 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlRQktxVwQw
The Dambusters March
The Dam Busters March is the theme to the 1955 British war film The Dam Busters. It was written by Eric Coates. Amongst his work you will know By The Sleepy Lagoon which is introduces every episode of Desert Island Discs (1942 and still running), and Calling All Workers which became the theme tune for Music While You Work (1940-1967).
Coates' son, Austin Coates, recounted in a BBC radio interview that the march was not written for The Dam Busters. It just so happened his father had been carrying out an exercise in composing a march that emulated the musical forms of Edward Elgar. It was only a few days after completing the composition that Coates was contacted by the film's producers. Coates had a profound dislike of writing film music and turned down the producers' numerous requests. Not until they told him that this was "a film of national importance" did he agree. On hearing more about the film, he came to the conclusion that the piece he had just finished would be a perfect overture. (Wikipedia)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K32Adi8nmzA
Another classic Tonic Choir performance from Sept 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgdG1M-WrW0