Welcome to Shift, where Tom Allen takes you on a daily musical journey from the stalwarts of Classical music to the cutting edge of Contemporary tunes. Join us here on CBC music for a round-up of the stories of the day, some videos of music (or maybe just videos interesting to music fans) and a place to speak your voice.
Thursday November 15th
Tycho Brahe led an exceedingly interesting life. He was a pioneer in astronomy, titling an incredible amount of celestial bodies. He also lost his nose while in his early 20s while dueling. When he died in 1601, many wondered if he'd been poisoned by jealous competition. His bones were exhumed not just once, but twice to find out more. Most recently, his beard hair was tested for mercury levels. So far, no evidence of poisoning.
When you think of a symphony orchestra, what picture comes to mind? It's probably a stage of well-dressed players arranged in a familiar fashion: with the strings to one side, brass and woodwinds set up nearby, and the percussion toward the back. This idea of an orchestra was not always so specific. In Igor Stravinsky's time, the idea of orchestra was not only the prim and proper version. He changed the numbers, changed the instruments, brought his orchestra to the bar, and had them play tango.
(our on-air broadcast featured Stravinsky's piece being performed by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra)
Mike Ford, once a member of the band Moxy Fruvous, has been writing songs about Canada's history. WAIT! Don't go away, yet. Though many uninspired teachers, many have the opinion that Canada's history is boring. It is anything but. Take a look at what Mike Ford can do with a bit of Canadian mythology.
Good Time Charlie's was an iconic bar in Regina, Saskatchewan. CBC commissioned the Deep Dark Woods to write a song, and it ended up being an ode to Charlie's. That couldn't save the place, and it has since been knocked down. The replacement was supposed to be a condo unit titled Capital Pointe. There has been no ground broken on this new project. In fact, in September they lost their development permit. There have been assurances the project is still a go, but do we have any more reliable sources? What's actually happening in Regina?
Having 3 meals a day is a relatively new thing for humanity. The Romans ate one meal a day. In fact, lunch didn't exist until about 200 years ago. And they ate beever.
If you have ever wanted a pain to go away, however small, you need to read this. One girl's condition prevents her from feeling any pain. She wishes she could feel it more than you wish the pain would go away.
You can contact us at SHIFT with your ideas, questions, or anything else by sending us a message on our Facebook page. Through email, you can reach show producers Alison Howard ( alison.howard@cbc.ca ) or Alex Redekop ( alex.redekop@cbc.ca ).
