Classical Music Wrap-Up + Questionnaire

Hello friends! It is November! We made it!

CCM, Soundtrack, and Synth-pop have begun flowing through these earbuds again, and I’m so happy. I’m sure I look crazy over here in a lip-sync battle with myself, but that’s not what I’m here to discuss.

To wrap up this month of classical music appreciation, Grace Avender and I put together a little questionnaire, in which we will be talking about things we learned, songs we liked, and other such things!

First off, I would like to note that I made it through a month of classical music, and I’m still excited to talk about it!

1. What has been your favorite part of this month?

My favorite part (other than the camaraderie with Grace [my “trial by fire” buddy]) was probably the excuse to listen to classical music. I love classical music, but I admit, I’m a bit fast-paced, and don’t often take the time to listen to 1hr+ long symphonies. However when that’s all you have to listen to… why not?

(I felt kind of like Bilbo. After all… why shouldn’t I listen to all of Elgar’s Enigma Variations, and Pomp and Circumstance Marches?)

2. What is your favorite symphony or full work?

Probably The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, haha. (Does that count??) Maybe because I am a young person. Maybe because it’s just plain epic.

You can listen to this on it’s own, but a really neat way to listen to it is to go read the Wikipedia page, scroll down to the Structure section and you can follow along with all the different variations and instruments. It is. So. Cool.

Honestly the best part is the last 20 seconds, but you have to listen to THE WHOLE THING!!

3. What is a piece that grew on you, that you didn’t like at first?

Pretty much all of them. I used to hate classical music. I even swore to my older sister that never in a million years would I like it. Well, now I must thank my older sister for feeding my wee bairn brain that didn’t know anything real music, so that I could appreciate it now that I’m older.

But other that I can’t think of anything that really grew on me. If I don’t like a classical piece at first, I don’t really listen to it again. 😝

4. Is there an aspect of classical music that you now have a deeper appreciation for?

Well, something I noticed just now, is that it allows me to focus better. I was trying to write the beginning of this post with some CCM playing, and by brain went a little haywire. I don’t know if I would have noticed that before, but yeah. That’s something I definitely appreciate about classical music.

5. If you could go back in time, which of the composers would you most like to meet and what would you say/ask?

I would love to meet Haydn. I remember reading about him a year ago in, The Spiritual Lives of Great Composers, which talked about his joy in God’s grace, and his humility, and just thinking that was really awesome! (Mozart would also be cool to meet.) And I would probably just ask him about his relationship with God. How it affected his day-to-day life, outside of his music.

6. Who is your favorite classical music performer?

I don’t know if I listen to enough soloists to be able to have a favorite… However, I really enjoyed listening to David Garrett’s classical pieces. His funkified Carmen Fantasie, and more emotional Humoresque might be considered sacrilege, but still.

Now if we’re talking about a ensemble, MozART Group would definitively be up there. Besides being great musicians, they also tap dance, yodel, play obscure instruments, and are just hilarious.

7. Any interesting facts you learned in connection to classical music?

Yes. I finally looked up the backstory of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, which I have pretty much always loved. (Even when I said I hated classical music.)

Apparently the 12 concertos were inspired by four sonnets describing… the four seasons. (The sonnets are also attributed to Vivaldi, but no one really knows who wrote them.) If you’re interested, you can find the sonnets here in Italian and English. Now I need to go listen it again, and read along with the sonnets.

8. Have your views of classical music changed in any way?

Not really? I do feel like I have a deeper appreciation for it than I had before.

You know, it’s kind of funny, I came into the month thinking I would spend 31 days listening to classical music, and by the last day, I would be so done, and never want to listen to classical music again. Either that, or I would totally be ruined for modern music.

But now, I’m listening to my old music and enjoying it with what feels like new ears, haha, and I find myself wanting to go back to some of the classical pieces too. That kind of surprised me a bit, in a good way.

9. If you were to take up a new instrument, what would it be?

PIPE ORGAN!!

Okay, story time. My family used to go to this campground every year for Sukkot. They had cabins, cottages, several lodges, a gym, a couple chapels… the works. Anyway, this one chapel had a grand piano, and they didn’t lock it up, so of course we snuck in there a few times to play it.

But they also had a pipe organ. It was set up in front of the stage, and the pipes were behind the stage, concealed by these huge blinds. I just remember looking through the blinds as my brother was playing, and just seeing the huge pipes looming upward in the dark and feeling the power of the vibrations. It was both a little eerie, and very awesome.

So yes, I would go for the organ. Maybe not your most portable instrument, but all the other awesome factors more than make up for that.

10. If you were to write a story based on a classical piece, which piece would you choose and what story would you tell?

I think I would take Danzon No. 2 (a song Grace sent me), and write a story about a flamenco dancer who was also a spy. I might also… set it against a backdrop of the Spanish civil war… with themes of courage, braver, sacrifice. That sort of thing.

Bonus Question: What regular song are you going to listen to first, or what song did you miss the most?

The first song I listened to was American Pie, by Don McLean, by recommendation of a friend. 😊 But the song I missed the most… I’m going to be honest. It was probably Some Day Love. I also really missed my worship music in general, but it was nice to know some of my favorite classics came from a heart for God. 😊 (Sheep May Safely Graze specifically got me through those times when I just needed something peaceful.)

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Well, that wraps up the questionnaire! You can read Grace’s post and answers here!

Now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Or completely forgotten. 😆 I shall now play you a classical piece on my instrument.

I told everyone I was going to do this in one take. (No more of that 30+ take nonsense that happened last time I took a video like this. 🙄) Well, my perfectionist side started getting in the way again, and about 20 takes later, my 4 year old brother came out and asked if I could teach him saxophone. He might be a little small for tenor sax right now, but ended up staying out for a while to keep me company, and I told him this would be my last take.

It was kind of cold, so he ran off before I was finished, but here’s the final take.

And thus endeth the “trial by fire,” as Grace and I lovingly called it.

I really enjoyed discovering new classics, listening to old classics, and having an excuse to practice sax. A big thank you to Grace Avender for inspiring the challenge and being totally up to following through!! 😁 (And a big thank you to my little bro for cutting right through my perfectionism, and helping me have fun along the way. 💛)

What’s a new instrument you would like to take up? Who is your favorite classical music soloist or group? I’d love to chat with you in the comments! Thanks for coming along for the ride.

Peace and love,
~Chalice