martle, that's very much an 'accept no substitute' recording. You're allowed other versions in your collection too (I think I've about six) but this one is extraordinary, one of those rare totally persuasive discs. It's not always easy to get hold of (mine came from Russia in a brown paper package tied with string) but it just oozes quality and fervour, and the sound of the voices is hair up the back of the neck stuff...

Martle, the Sveshnikov was the recording Ron, amongst others, recommended at the other place with tales of parcels arriving from Russia wrapped in brown paper and string! I couldn't locate it on the net, but found it's available on iTunes for £7.99.

The Shostakovich was a quick iPod pick during a fairly dull afternoon of 'quick, we've only got a few days of term left and loads of (pretty uninspiring) science (worksheets provided by our DHT) to get through...let's liven things up a bit'. We had watched a bit of Fantasia 2000 after our Christmas performance the other afternoon, which included an animation based on the 1st movement of Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No.2, so I though a bit more DSCH might be worth a try.

Funnily enough, I put together discs of music for entering/leaving assembly and often try for a 'theme'. As we'd studied Romeo & Juliet (and been to the ballet) as well as Tudors, I'd put together a disc on a Shakespearean theme. The children who operate the CD player tend to pick whichever track they like and often choose the little 'Caliban' movement from Sibelius' Tempest incidental music. The children have really taken to it and one of our office staff, who work within yards of the hall, had to 'borrow' the disc one weekend!

Me too, Sir! Me Sir, please, p-l-e-a-s-e me, Sir!!!  Gosh, your lot are a lucky bunch, IGI. 

When I was at primary school, I and another boy had the job of playing a record while everyone entered and left the hall for morning assembly. We were able to choose for ourselves from a cabinet of LPs and the same piece was then played all week. The Planets was a favourite but I particularly liked Dvorak's Slavonic Dances, especially no. 6 of the first set. One week we chose South Pacific and we were told that it was inappropriate.

But back to spinning. I was lucky to receive the complete EMI Maria Callas studio recordings set (72 CDs) for my birthday and earlier this evening I was listening to the 1952 Norma. Those 1950s mono recordings sound very well, though Norma is perhaps not the best example.

Speaks for itself really, doesn't it? (Did you not like sticking out like a green thumb at the school where you were, martle?) (And thanks for letting us know about your physiological oddity, though possibly TMI!  )

Perhaps not quite as inappropriate as what a friend of mine perpetrated when the school musical was indeed South Pacific.

In the oboe part there is at one point the direction 'imitate Morse code'.

He played this:

..-.  ..-  -.-.  -.-
-.--  ---  ..-
.-  .-..  .-..

All very well until a teacher (who was also involved in the Cadet corps at the school) came up to him one day in the corridor, grabbed him by the collar and informed him:

"Adam, there are a lot of old diggers [soldiers] who come to these shows and
THEY KNOW MORSE CODE!!!"

   #1896.       But, Tony, which track from South Pacific was deemed 'inappropriate'?  -  'You've got to be carefully taught'?   

It's not going to be immediately decipherable to the majority of our readers, is it? I'd guess that those who are interested will mostly need to Google, and have a fair idea of what to expect anyway: it's far enough away from blatant to be described as 'scarcely immoderate', at the very most, surely?