Public radio in Wilmington was one of the deciding factors for our relocation over 25 years ago. - Mimi
Last week I read a letter critical of using popular culture like movies and cartoons to water down classical melodies the real thing. I played a short excerpt from a Warner Brothers Elmer Fudd/Bugs Bunny cartoon to illustrate the idea, and asked for comments from listeners.
Listener Susan from Shallotte agreed with last week’s writer. She wrote:
About the corruption of classical music for other purposes -- Garrison Keillor does a similar thing, weekly -- takes a well-known and well-loved song and bastardizes it with his own "clever, modern" lyrics. I hate it. Makes me want to plug up my ears, lest those silly words stick in my brain in place of the beautiful traditional ones.
Martyn Hawkins of Oak Island wrote:
I always loved the use of classical music in early cartoons and the genius used in incorporating it. I can still picture a Myna Bird walking to Fingal's Cave, a workman hammering to the Hungarian Rhapsody, and so on. It was a painless way for children to be exposed to such beautiful music. "Kill the Wabbit" is still hysterically funny after all these years!
Between Martyn and Susan, I’m reminded of one of my mother’s favorite sayings, “There’s no accounting for taste”, or as she put it “De gustibus non est disputandum, said the old lady as she kissed the cow.”
On a related topic from last week, Martyn wrote:
I wish whoever selects the music for your 'beds' had their own dedicated program. I believe the [early morning] guitar piece people complained was magnificent. It had the flavor of the early 60's groups like The Shadows. One piece I hear on occasion is achingly beautiful and there is absolutely no way to know what it is or purchase it. I have always marched to the beat of a different drummer.
I would advise Martyn and others to go to the npr.org website and look up Morning Edition or All Things Considered for a particular day. Sometimes the music beds and artists will be identified. Also, NPR’s Bob Boilen, who has picked out music for All Things Considered for years, hosts a weekly podcast called “All Songs Considered”, with lots of interesting and sometimes offbeat music picks.
And more on classical music: listener JT wrote this message to Suzanne Bona, the host of the syndicated Sunday Baroque program:
Congratulations - it was a pleasure hearing your personal programming on WHQR, Wilmington, NC. Your dedication is voluminous. I only hope our new venture will be as rewarding as [Sunday Baroque].
I assume that by “personal programming”, JT means the care and thoughtfulness that Suzanne clearly puts into every show. And the new venture, I would assume, refers to our new Classical HQR at 96.7.
Listener Mimi is a new member to our WHQR Meetup group. She wrote:
I have had a longtime investment in WHQR. Public radio in Wilmington was one of the deciding factors for our [relocation] over 25 years ago. It has been an exciting journey from Greenfield St. to Front St.
The first of a series of casual listener Meetups will be Wednesday from 5-7 at Events at Watermark on River Road in Wilmington. It’s free. You can find out out more about Meetups in general and ours at whqr.org.
We’d love to hear from you on Friday Feedback. You can always leave a message via email to feedback@WHQR.org. Our Feedback Phone is 910-292-9477. And thanks for your feedback.