1Click Play to Listen to CBC Radio 2 Shift for March 26th
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.
Tuesday March 26th
Today on Shift we explore all of the musical Keys. From Shining C Major to C.
Every piece of music in our classical section shifts up a semitone. Brightening your afternoon by a semitone every step of the way.
C Major is the most homely of all keys as comfortable as your favourite armchair.
D Flat Major has darker tones then D Major the brightest of all keys. If Helios the Sun God had a key it would be D Major
You'll hear music by Igor Stravinsky in the key of E Flat Major a key as solid and enduring as a marriage of 30 years.
E Major is a key which strives to please. If it were a kid in the class room it would have its hand up each time the teacher asked a question, but when it came time to answer E major might just have forgotten the question and probably didn't know the answer anyway.
When people associate colours with Keys Everyone sees Blue when they think about the Key of F Major. Seeing in colour is called Synesthesia
F Sharp Major could quite easily be the wicked priest from Robertson Davies'novel Fifth Business
G Major is The gallant host. A key shared by all western instruments comfortable to play in for brass, wind and string. Come one come all G Major Welcomes you.
A Flat Major is a little unstable, in search of stability, a slightly resentful middle child.
A Major is the bouncing baby of the musical family so cute and easy going it drive A Flat Major to tears. Listen to the happy clarinets in Wolfie's A Major Concerto.
B Flat Major is the Key which shows you have made it. B Flat Major is richness.
When professional musicians put on their performing suit it is often referred to as a B Flat!
B Major is the child that returns from University with their own opinions and isn't afraid to rub them in the faces of their musical family.
If you've enjoyed this journey through the keys please check out Paolo Piertopaolo's program which each week examines a particular musical Key.
The Signature Series well worth a look or two or three!
Shifty Stories:
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 ) or Pete Morey ( peter.morey@cbc.ca )