Well I've been tagged for homework [ thought I'd got away with that one by sitting very quietly at the back of the classroom] and it's very early on Saturday morning but here goes. This may be a bit long winded - no change there then!
1. Cathedral organ music. In the hot summer of '76 we were on holiday on the Norfolk Broads and had moored up in Norwich. Whilst in the Cathedral enjoying a respite from the searing heat the organist was practising so we just sat and listened and it was marvellous. Even just listening to him doing his scales in that magnificent building got me in the solar plexus.
2. Manuel de Falla's Three Cornered Hat. When the the orchestra starts building to the crescendo with the castanets - fantastic.
3. Nimrod - guaranteed to make me cry.
4. Elgar cello concerto - ditto.
5. Anything by John Taverner - ditto.
6. Rachmaninov's no 2.
7. Babies when they first start finding their words and come out with all that glorious nonsense.
8. All the garden smells - cheating I know but I could do a whole list just of those.
9. Freshly plastered or freshly stripped walls - slightly earthy, slightly dank.
10.Old churches - polish, incense, flowers.
11.Books and paper.
12.Pets - not the nasties when they need a bath but all my pets over the years have had their own individual scent and I can conjur up their aroma when I think of them.
Well that's my twelve. Is this part of the national curriculum - should be.
I'd Rather Dance than Watch
8 years ago
12 comments:
Church smells will feature on a lot of lists I think. They smell so utterly different to anywhere else.
Nimrod is my most favourite piece of music, I also a different version of it on a CD called Electric Moods - absolutely fantastic.
I love the smell of puppies, not so pleasant when they start growing though!
Crystal xx
Great list Well Done, not sure about the churches I always find it an odd smell, love the music.
Blossom
oh Toady!! Thank you,reading your list I suddenly remebered going with my father to see Askinazi playing Rachmananov, he was a tiny man (A not my father!!)and sat on the edge of teh piano stool bouncing like a child waiitng for the orcheestra to finsih their bit so he can launch himself in!! Icredible!! Great choice of music!
Ah, Church organ music - it just seems to fill the whole building right up to the rafters, doesn't it? And there's always that slight echo-yness. Bach's Toccatta & Fugue (can't remember which key - the famous one, anyway) - suddenly piercing the silence after a service. That's something that's guaranteed to stir up the hairs on the back of the neck!
Lovely list, Toady - well done for being so prompt! You can take the rest of the weekend off.
Ahh yes church smells the atmosphere, the organ everything..xx
I like the heirloom cushion..xx
Fabulous list, toady..... Now I need to go away and listen to all those pieces of music again. jxxxx
Just been catching up on last few blogs.
Love your list of 12 thingies.
With you on the church smells and organ music...
There is a real sense of self assuredness about your blogs more recently Toady. What a long way you have come.
I laughed out loud seeing Max with the bows! That is the type of thing my daft dog lets us do!
warmest wishes
x
Elgar Cello Concerto is one of my favourite pieces of music, sends goose-bumps up my arms. Love Churches, and the scents of them.
Camilla.x
Yup ditto to Blossom . .
There are only 2 or 3 that don't do anything for me. The organ in any church is magic but in a cathedral with lots of stops out is completely overwhelming.
Great list Toady! I am ashamed to say, I STILL haeven't done mine!!
I also love the smell in churches.
warm wishes
xx
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