Monthly Archives: May 2021
The Grove: New Age Music By A Starlit Sea
Join us today — Saturday 15th May, at 2pm Pacific Time / 10pm UK time — for the latest in an approximately monthly series featuring 90 minutes of New Age music, presented from The Grove, a beautiful specially-created environment in the virtual world of Second Life — http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Chestnut%20Hills/127/78/3805 - or simply tune in at http://main.vcradio.org
Vocal Magic
In today’s programme, we present a selection of music featuring the human voice, from Mediæval times to the present.
Both secular and a little sacred music is included, so today’s show will be quite varied, ranging between troubadour songs, Renaissance choral works, traditional English folk-songs sung by artists like the King’s Singers and Coope Boyes & Simpson, and modern works such as those of Karl Jenkins, Libera, The Swingle Singers, The Carpenters, and Donna McKevitt’s haunting settings of Derek Jarman’s poetry.
The programme focuses primarily on lesser-known works and on smaller vocal ensembles, rather than either solo or large-scale performances, but examples of both are also included.
The Black Mass: The Death of Halpin Frayser by Ambrose Bierce
Join us on Friday at a little after 12 noon or 4pm Pacific time, 8pm or midnight in the UK , for another episode in the landmark radio drama series The Black Mass, created by the late Erik Bauersfeld and his colleagues at the Pacifica radio station KPFA in Berkeley, California, over fifty years ago. In 30 chilling tales of mystery, imagination and the human mind, The Black Mass brings you some of literature’s most haunting stories, by masters of the craft — many of whom are best-known in other fields.
Note that the episode will not start until the track playing at the top of the hour has finished, so the actual start time of the episode will be a few minutes after the hour.
Today: The Death of Halpin Frayser by Ambrose Bierce
This Gothic ghost story by Ambrose Bierce was first published in the San Francisco periodical The Wave on December 19, 1891 before appearing in the 1893 collection Can Such Things Be?
Tarot @ Teatime — Episode 6
It’s Thursday May 13 and time for a brand new episode in our twice-monthly series on the Tarot, Tarot @ Teatime, with Willow Moonfire and Honey Heart. The show airs on Thursdays and Sundays at 12 noon and 4pm Pacific Time (8pm and midnight in the UK), and a new episode premieres every two weeks.
Episode 6 covers Part Two of the significance of numbers in the Minor Arcana. We present qualities and keywords associated with the numbers six through 10.
The primary resource mentioned is the Rider Waite Smith Tarot deck. It is available from the publisher, US Games Systems, Inc. and numerous bookstores and online book sellers.
Where’ve You Been 8: A La Vallée Vacation
Wednesday May 12 marks the premiere of the latest episode in our series “Where’ve You Been”, where we look at things to do and places to see in and around the Second Life Grid. Each episode is broadcast on Wednesdays and Saturdays for two weeks, at 12 noon and 4pm Pacific / 8pm and midnight UK time.
In Episode 8 we visit La Vallée — a small village in a Springtime Alpine valley. It was created by Isha (Sablina Resident), and is actually the product showcase for an innovative range of off-region landscaping, but it’s worth a visit even if you aren’t in the market for some — because, indeed, the landscaping is brilliant.
If you’d like to visit, here is the link.
Pastorale
Tune in today, Weds May 12, for a programme of melodic, often orchestral pieces as we feature music that evokes the natural world in all its glory.
Mainly, but not exclusively, classical in nature, we’ll hear music like Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony and the beautiful but lesser known Symphony No 3, Pastoral, from Vaughan Williams. There’s The Lark Ascending and many other beautiful relaxing classics.
In addition, you’ll hear some relaxing ‘smooth jazz’ and New Age pieces, again with a country air.
So kick back and enjoy the varied sounds of the countryside.
New Episodes on Mixcloud
Big Band and Swing
Today we’re taking a trip back to the heyday of the big bands in the first half of the 20th century, featuring a wide range of Big Band jazz and swing.
The programme includes a mixture of original period recordings and more recent material.
You can also hear episodes of Engines of Our Ingenuity from the University of Houston every four hours from 12:00 UTC
And tune in today at 12 noon or 4pm Pacific (20:00 or 00:00 UTC) for the latest episode of Where’ve You Been?, where we look at places and events across the Second Life grid (see separate entry).
The Black Mass 12: The Jolly Corner by Henry James
Join us on Friday at a little after 12 noon or 4pm Pacific time (8pm and midnight in the UK) for another episode in the landmark radio drama series The Black Mass, created by the late Erik Bauersfeld and his colleagues at the Pacifica radio station KPFA in Berkeley, California, over fifty years ago. In 30 chilling tales of mystery, imagination and the human mind, The Black Mass brings you some of literature’s most haunting stories, by masters of the craft — many of whom are best-known in other fields.
Note that the episode will not start until the track playing at the top of the hour has finished, so the actual start time of the episode will be a few minutes after the hour.
Today: 12: “The Jolly Corner” by Henry James
Music of the Baroque
Today, Wednesday May 5th, we explore the music of the Baroque era. We’ll be including the work of a wide range of composers. Many will be familiar; other perhaps less so; or they may have written pieces that we know well but have no idea of who composed them — for example English composer Thomas Arne, who wrote Rule Britannia but also a range of other pieces which deserve more interest than is usually paid to them.
Then at 12 noon and 4pm Pacific / 8pm or midnight UK time, join us for Episode 6 of “Where’ve You Been?”, our twice-monthly show on places to visit and things to do around the Second Life Grid. In this episode we visit ‘once upon a time’ — a curious world where things appear very different — and you can find the details here. And every four hours from 4am Pacific, tune in for “The Engines of Our Ingenuity”, from the University of Houston, about the machines that make our civilization run and the people whose ingenuity created them.
