Showing posts with label BBC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BBC. Show all posts

21 Sept 2007

Peer Gynt


Chris from My kop op 'n blok inspired me to write about Peer Gynt. I read his post about Peer Gynt and that took me back to my secondary school when I was 14. Our music teacher discussed the story about the music/play of Peer Gynt, composed by Edvard Grieg. I loved it, and "Anitra's dance" and "In the Hall of the Mountain King" were my favourite bits.
Last year, I taught a mixed Y5/Y6 class and I played them the animation on BBC 's Radio 3's website. The music you hear on Radio 3's site is "In the Hall of the Mountain King!" Have some "messy fun" on their site!!

We listened to the music first, they drew a storyboard, which they thought would suit the music best. Then I showed them the animation and they then drew a second storyboard with the real story in a sequence... they loved this animation which is quite good...have a look! I myself found it enjoyable! I was really impressed when I found it on the web!

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) is the greatest composer Norway has fostered. In retrospect one may wonder how a country with neither national freedom nor a long tradition of art music could have produced a man of such genius. Up to 1814 Norway had been totally subject to Denmark, with Copenhagen as its cultural center. From 1814 to 1905 it was forced into a union with Sweden. The first half of the eighteenth century was a time of poverty in Norway and it was some time before it could assert itself among its Scandinavian brothers.

Read more HERE about the composer, Edvard Grieg.

Peer Gynt is a play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It was written in 1867, and first performed in Christiania (now Oslo) on 24 February 1876, with incidental music by the composer Edvard Grieg. Ibsen wrote Peer Gynt while traveling in Rome, on Ischia and in Sorrento. It was first published on November 14, 1867, in Copenhagen. The first edition comprised 1,250 copies. It was followed by a re-print of 2,000 copies after 14 days.
Read HEREabout the play, Peer Gynt.
Whoops!! Just found this on Youtube!! Listen to "In the hall of the Mountain King!"




And.........here is "Anitra's dance!"

19 Sept 2007

Blaming Britain!


Last night on the news...BBC....there was a news bulletin about the situation in Zimbabwe....I really get very, very upset when I watch news and see what's going on in Zimbabwe, for the ONLY reason: I BLAME BRITAIN!! Yes, the country I reside in, I BLAME the British Government of 1980, so the USA too....!! And I still blame them, they have the power to do something now!!! If you can remind yourself what lovely country Zimbabwe was like...was like. The years before 1980. Although it was ruled by Ian Smith...a white man...btw...I am not a racist...I hate seeing people suffering.....I hate seeing beauty destroyed! .......Everything ran smoothly in the country, all people had a good living, there was enough food for everyone, they even exported to other countries....but, it is sad to know that such a wonderful country has gone DOWN! And...let me tell you, if the white South Africans (the few that's left) in South Africa are not going to stay put....the same will happen in 20-30 years....It is true what you will read on the links I've given you here to follow up, only upsetting to read it and realise that what I read there, sounds like I was reading about South Africa! Follow the link..."more reading" to read where the following two quotes are from.

"BLAMING BRITAIN"
On several occasions, President Mugabe has declared: “The epicentre of hell is Britain, and the Queen or King in power at the moment is the devil!” Rev. Arthur Lewis comments: “It is ironic that Mugabe should spew such hatred against the country that, for all practical purposes, installed him into power and even today continues to offer Zimbabwe so much practical help.”

"THE BRAIN DRAIN
Over 4 million Zimbabweans have fled the country. It is reported that 1.1 million Zimbabweans are now living in the United Kingdom. According to SAPA, 500,000 health professionals, teachers, accountants, scientists and engineers have left Zimbabwe. This massive brain drain of the most qualified Zimbabweans, particularly in the health and education sectors, undermines any possibility of reversing the catastrophic collapse of Zimbabwe's economy"
Does it sound familiar??

Wikipedia....
Read here the article about Zimbabwe in Wikipedia.

"The British government requested United Nations economic sanctions against Rhodesia as negotiations with the Smith administration in 1966 and 1968 ended in stalemate."
"Independence (1980)
Britain's
Lord Soames was appointed governor to oversee the disarming of revolutionary guerrillas, the holding of elections, and the granting of independence to an uneasy coalition government with Joshua Nkomo, head of ZAPU. In the free elections of February 1980, Mugabe and his ZANU won a landslide victory. Mugabe has won re-election ever since."

More reading on Zimbabwe here...upsetting...
Zimbabwe's Precarious survival.