Midori- Variations on “The Last Rose of Summer” by Ernst

An evening pause: Performed live 1990, four days before her 19th birthday. As every single commenter at the youtube page correctly notes, this is an incredibly difficult piece. “Many great violinists won’t play this in public, or even record it.” Just watch and see. If you admire great guitar players, you will be astounded by some of the moves she performs.

Hat tip Judd Clark.

Petula Clark – Sign Of The Times

A evening pause: This performance, almost certainly lip-synced, is from the Ed Sullivan Show in 1966. It is absolutely worth watching, not only because the song is good, but the set, costumes, and dance choreography will give those too young to have lived in the 1960s a real sense of the crazy no-holds-barred culture of that time. People were willing and free to try anything.

Hat tip Diane Zimmerman.

Touring the largest organ in the world

An evening pause: Specifically, this tour takes us from the bottom to the top of the largest pipe, and then shows us what comes out when you play it.

Hat tip Judd Clark, who provides this additional information:

Constructed between May 1929 and December 1932, the Main Auditorium Organ is the “Poseidon”, built by the Midmer-Losh Organ Company, and is the world’s largest pipe organ. Also included in this organ are pipes operating on 100 inches of pressure, the Grand Ophicleide being the loudest and also most famous. The instrument has an estimated 33,113 pipes and requires approximately 600 horsepower (450 kW) of blowers to operate.

1 14 15 16 17 18 123