Season 120: "Time for some Classical Music"

There are many songs in popular music that have used themes from classical music for their tunes. That's what this week's challenge is about. There are four aspects to this weeks challenge but they are all about adapting classical music to the ukulele in some form or other.

The Challenge
1) Record a popular song based on classical themes*.
2) Adapt a classical piece to ukulele. (vocal or instrumental)
3) Write an original song and use a theme from classical music for the tune.
4) Take an existing set of words (poem or existing song) and set them to music using a theme from classical music.

* The song should have the classical theme as its main tune. Some of the lists include songs that are "based on" or which just have a riff or short section in an otherwise original tune. These do not qualify. For example "Whiter Shade of Pale" would not qualify as it only includes a few notes from Bach in the intro, though the intro is clearly influenced by "Air on a G String".

Please state in your entry, the composer and piece of music it's based on.

Rules
1) Ukulele must be prominent but your video does not have to show you playing it. Puppets, film clips video effects etc. are fine
1) All videos should be made specially for this season.
2) One entry per person. You can post as many bonuses as you like but they should be new recordings. Your first post will be taken as your entry unless you tell me otherwise.
3) You should state in your entry the classical work & composer on which your entry is based.
4) Multi tracking etc. OK but ukulele should be prominent in the mix.
5) No entries before 00:01 Hawaii time, Sunday 1st June. Season ends 24:00 Hawaii time, Sunday 8th. June

Prizes
Not fully sorted but they will be classical music CDs.
* One for the best cover (1 & 2 above)
* One for best original song/setting (3 & 4 above)
* One drawn out of a hat.

Some sites with lists of popular songs based on classical themes:

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Melodia/List_of_popular_songs_based_on_classical_music

Pop Meets the Classics: http://www.allegro.philharmonic.me.uk

Playlists:

Covers of songs based on classical music themes

Original songs or new settings of existing words using classical music themes

Already know my entry. X3

I am so proud of us. FiL and I guessed this theme from your "Stranger in Paradise" hint over on the Season 118 thread. (With a little help from Wikipedia ... because I did not know that was based on Borodin.)

It's a brilliant theme, Geoff! Going to be lots of fun. Dick Adcock will probably be kicking himself for doing that train restroom song last week.

I love all four challenges ... want to do them all!

LOVE IT!!!!!

Don't know about Classical...but I certainly have gas ....whacka whacka whacka.......:nana:




will you stop whackaking me ..thank you !! Gee Mr Tootler can be a grumpy bunny .....lol

Cool theme Geoff! I'm looking forward to trying something instrumental for a change.

CeeJay said:

will you stop whackaking me ..thank you !! Gee Mr Tootler can be a grumpy bunny .....lol

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Of course I am. Just ask my wife :biglaugh:

librainian said:

Cool theme Geoff! I'm looking forward to trying something instrumental for a change.

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That would be great. There's some fantastic classical uke on t'internet.

Got so side track looking through ideas I forgot to tell you this is a great theme Geoff. Im really looking forward to trying my hand at an instrumental. I don't do instrumentals you know. This will be a really great theme

The tune was taken from the main theme of the Maestoso section of Saint-Saëns' Symphony No.3 in C minor (Symphony with organ)

pabrizzer said:

The tune was taken from the main theme of the Maestoso section of Saint-Saëns' Symphony No.3 in C minor (Symphony with organ)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3rnjNtq9oI

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Pabrizzer: Great opener for season 120. Instrumental and vocal were excellent. Playing it through on the uke, then the recorder before singing was a lovely idea. The recorder and your uke go really well together.

Insensatez

I did this Jobim/Chopin song back when Tina hosted a season, but I really love this song, and Geoff’s theme gives me a chance to try it on my latest homemade uke #13, this time with low-g. Thanks, Geoff.

This is an original lyric I was already working on, its not finished yet, but I thought it would work with the chords for Pachebel's Canon in D.
It's a song about being born from the perspective of the baby. I recorded with the shaker and added some bassguitar later on.
Lyrics/Chords are here:
http://www.vanommen.net/Coming_into_the_light.pdf

A nice simple one for me first before I try and tackle an instrumental later in the week.

Green Day's Basket Case, like a great many pop songs, uses the chord progression from Pachelbel's Canon. Green Day play it in Eb, I've gone for D.

Here we go- the only classical song I know.
Plaisir d'amour- Martini...by way of Elvis Presley
Tough one here Tootler

This seasons a no brainer for any Elvis fans out there ...........quick get ya entry in ......Its now or never !! Lol

Here's my entry (or bonus, if this doesn't quite meet the requirements). This is "Hook," (one of my favorite songs of all time), by Blues Traveler. It is built upon the chord progression of "Canon in D" by Johann Pachelbel, (My favorite piece of classical music). I love this song to death, and it was literally the first thing that popped into my mind when i read the words "Classical Music." Something about this song always puts me in a good mood, and I love playing it on the gui... Giant Uke... Oddly, the key I had to switch to to make this easier on my chord-wise (Key of C, for you bandies out there) actually put it nicely into my vocal range. In the original key (key of A, for those of you taking notes) is either too high at times, or too low.

Also, Blues Traveler originates from New Jersey. So you KNOW they're awesome.

mythinformed said:

This seasons a no brainer for any Elvis fans out there ...........quick get ya entry in ......Its now or never !! Lol

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Also Eric Carmen fans. He has several. Well, two.

MikeOnTheUke said:

Also, Blues Traveler originates from New Jersey. So you KNOW they're awesome.

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Mike, I had not known that about Blues Traveler. Or you! Dude, what exit? Okay, no, we don't really talk like that do we? (Yeah, kind of.) Where in our big state are you? I'm in Edison ... M'sex County.

If anybody thinks this is a hard theme (Miss BEV), I googled "songs based on classical music", and tons of great pages came up. Including the usual long list at Wikipedia.
There are tons of tunes based on the Pachelbel Canon progression - you can google that separately for a bunch more ideas.
Or just watch the Pachelbel Rant.

Here are my comments on the early entries.

Dougf: Excellent playing, Doug. I always admire your arrangements and the way you can get the most out of the ukulele.

Xommen: Nice song, Wim. I can hear the Pachelbel in it and I liked the idea behind your song. Was your bass playing the bass line from Pachelbel?

RAB11: Another one based on Pachelbel's Cannon and I suspect, not the last. D was the key the original was written. Nice strumming and I liked the mixture of picking and strumming in the ending.

TCK: Excellent choice and very nicely sung. This really suits your voice and style of playing. I'm sure there will be other versions of this.

MikeOnTheUke: Another song based on Pachelbel's canon. You could clearly hear the Pachelbel in the uke and the song also echoed those original very nicely. Well sung and nice choice.

It looks like Pachelbel's canon might be a season standard. If we get a couple more in the next day or so, I'll set up a separate playlist.

UkeCan1 said:

Mike, I had not known that about Blues Traveler. Or you! Dude, what exit? Okay, no, we don't really talk like that do we? (Yeah, kind of.) Where in our big state are you? I'm in Edison ... M'sex County.

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Eeyup. They're from Princeton, if i remember correctly. As for me, I'm about 5 minutes out of Trenton, just outside the Trenton suburbs. In the mythical land known as Central Jersey X3.

mythinformed said:

This seasons a no brainer for any Elvis fans out there ...........quick get ya entry in ......Its now or never !! Lol

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Multiple versions of the same song are fine and we had another Elvis in the post just before yours. :shaka:

Feets don't fail me now

Roasting that cannon in D one more time.