On this week's edition of Mark Steyn on the Town we mark the sesquicentennial of a great composer, Maurice Ravel - plus "lounge soul" via South Africa, a big belter from the NYPD, and Sinatra goes country.
To listen to the programme, simply click here and log-in.
~Thank you for your kind comments about last week's edition. Nancy, a Montana Steyn Clubber, enjoyed the Bizet:
Mark your Fanfare for the Carmen man (and woman) was très delightful! You never disappoint.
Michael Smith, a a Mark Steyn Club member from Maryland, preferred our Oscar winners to the Oscars':
Thanks Mark for another boffo episode. My protest against the Oscars was listening to it, and the 75th anniversary of Baby It's Cold Outside's win, rather than watching live the depravity that claims to be its moral superior.
Chris, however, was distracted by an aside re "Swingin' on a Star":
Loved the show, the Oscar look back and the Opera sheen... And how has no one asked who the other person was (other than Jimmy van Heusen) who is buried in the Sinatra plot who isn't a family member? I certainly ran to Google for the name of Jilly Rizzo. I apologize if all other Steyn Clubbers just knew by long-standing dint of MS impressions.
Jilly is really worth a show all to himself, California member Teresa Maupin appreciated our tip of the hat to Dame Olivia:
Totally enjoyed listening to so many familiar songs! During college, I studied until Johnny Carson came on, at which point I put away the books for lively conversation and laughs. I vividly remember Olivia Newton John's debut performance of 'I Honestly Love You,' when a single tear ran down her cheek at the end. Since I was in a doomed relationship at the time, it really pulled on the heart strings -- no laughs involved. At the same time, I felt upbeat because I could tell she was really going somewhere!
One more from Stefan Bucek:
Every episode of On the Town is so chock full of musical nostalgia that it's hard to pick which selection to comment about! But I'll choose this one for Episode 44, to wit: my first exposure to the music from Carmen came from my frequent spinning of the album, Spike Jones is Murdering the Classics, which concludes with a nearly 13-minute medley of the various pieces from the opera. Indeed, I played that record so often that when I hear a legitimate version such as you played, I recite the Spike Jones lyrics in my head!
Thanks again, Mark, for your brilliant productions, and may God grant you the health and strength to bring us many more!
Thanks for all your comments - including the critical ones. On the Town is my weekly music show on Serenade Radio every Saturday at 5pm Greenwich Mean Time - that's 6pm in western and central Europe/12 midday North American Eastern. You can listen from anywhere in the world by clicking the button at top right here.
As you know, I'm a great believer in old-school appointment listening, and love the way Serenade's Saturday schedule flows through the day. However, we appreciate that many potential listeners are, at the appointed hour, shampooing the cat. So, as a bonus for Steyn Club members, we post On the Town at SteynOnline every weekend. You can find all our previous shows here.
We do enjoy your comments on our weekend programming. Steyn Clubbers are welcome to leave them below. For more on The Mark Steyn Club, see here - and don't forget our special Gift Membership.
Mark Steyn on the Town can be heard on Serenade Radio at the following times:
Saturday 5pm London time/12 noon New York
Sunday 5am London time/9pm Los Angeles
Steyn's Song of the Week continues on Sunday, Monday and Thursday at the usual hour.
