Pastorale
It may be freezing and snowing outside, but just think: Spring is not that far away. Tune in today for a programme of melodic, often orchestral music as we feature music that evokes the natural world in all its glory.
And don’t forget that at 22:00 GMT / 2pm Pacific, we’ll be holding our first gathering at The Grove for 90 minutes of New Age music — and if you are in Second Life, do join us in The Grove: SLURL http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Chestnut%20Hills/127/78/3805
The Black Mass: Fridays at 4pm Pacific
Join us on Friday at 4pm Pacific time (midnight Fri/Sat GMT), join us for another episode from the landmark radio drama series The Black Mass, created 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.
Note that episodes will not start until the track playing at the top of the hour has finished, so the actual start time of the episode may be a few minutes after the hour.
Our apologies: the show scheduled for Friday 12th did not go out due to a technical issue.
The Black Mass artwork was produced by Terry Lightfoot.
Ancient Journeys
Today, Weds 10 February, join us on a journey across the Ancient World, guided by the ancient and mysterious Piri Reis Map.
We visit Ancient Greece, Rome and beyond to encounter the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. We rediscover lost Atlantis, the ancient civilisations of South America, cross the Pacific and even travel to Antarctica and the Moon.
Genre Day: Music of the Baroque
Today, Saturday February 6th, 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.
Virtual Community Radio Is On The Air — Saturday Feb 6
The tests are complete, the stream is on the air, and it’s time to officially launch the station!
We’d like to extend a warm invitation to Second Life residents to join Virtual Community Radio at our Grand Opening Ball in our fabulous art deco theatre on the Chestnut Hills region, on Saturday February 6th at 2pm Pacific Time (22:00 GMT), as we officially launch the station. Come in formal dress and enjoy a programme of 90 minutes of waltzes, foxtrots and some rather more lively dances in a broadly Light Classical vein, presented in living stereophonic sound by DJ Caledonia Skytower.
The Black Mass: Fridays at 4pm Pacific
Every Friday at 4pm Pacific time (midnight Fri/Sat GMT), join us for an episode from the landmark radio drama series The Black Mass, created 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.
Realised with the minimum of audio equipment, the performances were quite remarkable and trod ground seldom covered by radio drama before — or since. The series includes a little over 30 episodes of eight to 30 minutes each. They will be randomly selected for broadcast.
Note that episodes will not start until the track playing at the top of the hour has finished, so the actual start time of the episode may be a few minutes after the hour.
New Series: Where’ve You Been?
Join Caledonia Skytower and Elrik Merlin on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 12 noon and 4pm Pacific/Second Life Time (8pm and midnight GMT) for Where’ve You Been? — our new series that goes out and about in Second Life, finding interesting places to visit and fun things to do.
We’ll usually cover one attraction in a show, but as this is the very first episode, we’re covering two! There’ll be a new episode every couple of weeks.
Genre Day: The Early Music Show
Today, Weds February 3rd, join us for a day of Early Music from the Renaissance period of North-West Europe. Many of today’s pieces are played on original and replica instruments, and there are some lively modern interpretations too. Composers range from the well known, such as Michael Praetorius and King Henry VIII (well, attributed) to people you may not have heard of.
“Early Music at Waterworks ‑12” by Mikeal Everett is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Elrik Merlin Steps Forward to Found Virtual Community Radio
Richard Elen (better known in Second Life by his DJ name, “Elrik Merlin”, or “Rik” for short) has a toolbox which runneth over with audio skills, music, broadcasting, and all the important behind-the-scenes details that go along with those activities. From working as a touring and studio sound engineer in the 1970s; through dozens of producing and engineering gigs; magazine editing and marketing communications; to current work as a specialist transferring vintage tapes and discs to digital format for major production music libraries, “wealth” does not begin to cover the experience he brings to his various virtual world endeavors.
Second Life residents may best know him standing beside Saffia Widdershins in the award-winning web TV show Designing Worlds, where for well over a decade he’s been co-host and has worked crucially behind the scenes on the technical production of each episode. Until recently, he played a similar role with Gabrielle Riel and the suite of streams formerly known as Radio Riel, working as part of the team of on-air presenters, alongside providing behind-the-scenes technical support. With the founding of Virtual Community Radio he steps in front, taking the leading role informed by his decades of professional experience.
Piano-issimo
Join us today for a programme of piano music — mainly classical but not entirely.
In addition to some amazing piano concertos and other classical works, we’ll also be playing pieces like the “Denham Concertos” — pieces written to capitalise on the success of Richard Addinsell’s Warsaw Concerto from the film Dangerous Moonlight (the film-makers asked Rachmaninov to write a piece but he declined). These include Clive Richardson’s London Fantasia, originally to be titled Coventry Fantasia after the Midland city severely damaged in the Blitz of November 1940, but his publishers told him that London would sell better. This tremendous work musically traces a day in the life of a city at war.
There are other piano pieces from the movies too, but in addition there’s light music, solo and orchestral works, music-hall pieces arranged for piano, and much more. Do tune in!
Image: “piano keys” by mararie licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
