28. Music and folklore in Great Britain

Music can be inspiring force only if it is itself inspired. Music influences us because we all have different physical, mental and emotional tendencies. Each person will absorb from the music the kind of feeling natural for him. As we absorb the feeling of the music our inner nature grows. This growth is an enrichment of the psyche.

Music can open new phases of our inner life because the way of expression of music is limitless. There may be talents lying dormant within us which music can stimulate into activity. We can be affected in many different ways by the same composer. Beethoven's Eroica Symphony inspires heroic actions; his Moonlight Sonata brings into play our deepest emotions and longing for the Ideal.

Some kinds of music vitalise us - others depress and fill our hearts with melancholy.

Arthur Bliss /1891- / is the English composer. He studied music at Cambridge under Charles Wood /1866-1926/. His production of the Colour Symphony in 1922 was a great event. In 1923 he left England for California. He was musically associated with the film industry and composed piano pieces and songs. He was back in England in 1926. He had become a perfectly serious composer.

Arthur Bliss' Music was much admired for the qualities of decorative stateliness and fierceness, which exactly march the scenario. He has written copiously: ballet, orchestral, pieces, chamber music, concertos and film music.

Benjamin Britten /19137 is an English composer, pianist, conductor and outstanding represen-tative of modern English music. He played the piano at seven, composed an oratorio at nine, and had written a symphony by the time he was 16. His opera Peter Grimes was produced in the USA.

He is an eclectic composer whose manner of writing is influenced by the aesthetic requirement of the work he is producing. Every page of his work bears originality.

Among his other compositions are Beggars' Opera, Midsummer Night's Dream. Britten's special gift lies in his music for the stage.

BEATLES /1962-1970/ became the most popular group in rock music history. The group con- sisted of 4 Englishmen: George Harrison /1943/, John Lennon /1940-80/, Paul McCartney /1942/ and Ringo Starr /1940/. Lennon and McCartney wrote and sang most of the Beatles' Songs. Harrison played lead guitar, Lennon played rhythm guitar, McCartney played bass, and Starr played drums.

All the Beatles were born in Liverpool. In 1954 John Lennon and 5 other musician formed a band called "Quarrymen" named after the Quarry Bank High School which they attended. McCartney joined the group in 1957. Harrison joined Lennon and McCartney in 1958. The tree, plus bass guitarist Stu Sutcliffe and drummer Peter Best, performed together under several names. They finally called themselves "The Beatles" in 1960. Sutcliffe left the group in 1961 and Starr replaced Best in 19662. Brian Epstein, who ran Liverpool record store became their manager in 1961.

The Beatles gained nationwide fame in 1962 and worldwide fame in 1964. During the early 60’s the Beatles's style was influenced by American rock artists. The Beatles's first compositions were simple love songs "Love Me Do" /1962/, "Please, Please Me" /1963/.

In 1964 the Beatles toured the USA and created a sensation. They starred in two popular movies. During the late 60', the Beatles help to give rock music a new direction. Early rock music had been based on a strong beat, but the Beatles's music contained a new sense of melody. The lyrics of their songs were more imaginative and meaningful.

The Beatles composed several songs of social criticism and such ballads as "Michelle" /1965/ and "Yesterday" /1965/, "Come Together" /1969/ and "Something" /1969/.

The Beatles began to drift apart in the late 1960's. The group broke up in 1970 and Beatles per­formed as soloists. On the 8^lh December 1980 outside his home in New-York City John Lennon was mur­dered by a 25 year old fan who believed that he was John Lennon.

DEPECHE MODE was formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. Their debut album was released in 1981. "Just Can't Get Enough" became a major dance hit. A second hit album "A Broken Frame" was re­leased in 1982. At their 101^st concert there were 70,000 fans. A live album and video was released in 1988. "Personal Jesus", the first single from this album was a huge success. It became one of the largest selling CD singles in U.S history. "Enjoy the silence" became Depeche Mode's trademark song. Depeche Mode released their new album "Ultra" in 1997.

PRODIGY. Some of the "Prodigy" fans call themselves "Children of Keith Flint'. In fact, every­thing, which is performed by «Prodigy», was created by Liam Hewlett.

Liam Hewlett from Breintry /Essex/ has been a music fan since his school days. He worked as a DJ in one of the popular groups and at the construction site. At 18 he passed exams and got a diploma of designer.

At the party in Barn he came across the rave for the first time and felt "something incredible and new". In two months he began to work as a DJ at the rave parties and became a well-known person in Es­sex. In secret he created some his own compositions but being modest by nature he did not show them to anybody.

At that time he met Keith Flint and Leroy Thornhill who was just the guy for rave. Flint liked Liams's melodies very much. Keith left school before passing examinations, and used to smoke. In 1988 he travelled in Africa. In 1989 he returned home to England but was turned out of the house for his ex­traordinary behaviour. He passed the nights at the riverbank of Branetry. Soon their common girl-friend Sharky joined them. Liam played and Keith, Leroy and Sharky danced. So appeared in England a new group "Prodigy".

Then Sharky left the group and the raggist and rapper Maxim Reality joined it. In February 1991 the groups had its first single "What Evil Lurks". 7000 copies were sold. In August they made their legen­dary single and clip "Charly" which paved them the way to the TV programme "Hit Show".

On September 20. 1992 the debut album "The Prodigy"-Experience" appeared to become the best class thing of the rave. The new album "Music-The Jilted Generation", which became Hit Nl and soon got the Mercury Prize. Those were the most advanced dancing melodies, a hell mixture of heavy break-beat, jazz-punk, "crazy " guitar, hip-hop and rough dancing compositions. The group got the MTV Prize for the best dancing show.

The period of world fame for the group came in 1995. The "Prodigy" concert in Glastonbury was declared "the greatest show on the Earth".

The single "Firestarter Promo" with a TV clip focused on Keith provoked many angry complaints of parents. Keith was too terrible for the night show. Nevertheless, the new album became Hit N 1 in many European countries. This was followed by "the Fat of the Land" /1997/, "We Are the Ruffest", and "Year 2000"/February 11.2000/.

SPICE GIRLS. Birth -1993. Genre -Rock. Style -Dance-Pop, Pop, Europop, Eurodance. The Spice Girls used dance-pop as a musical base, but they infused the music with independent feminist stance and the stance of England's new lad culture. Their proud, all-girl image and sense of humor made the Spice Girls a cross -generational success. Their debut single and video was "Wannabe" was on the top in 1996. The Spice Girls became media icons in Britain. Geri was "the sexy Spice", Melanie Brown was the "scary Spice", Victoria was "the posh Spice", and Melanie Chisholm was "a sporty Spice". Their second single, "Say You'll Be There", entered the chart at Nl. Having topped the charts in the Western World, the Spice Girls concentrated on America.