Sunday, July 20, 2014

YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY - What's a Theremin ?


 
  
I'm sure it won't surprise you to know that I am a great fan of the television show Midsomer Murders

 In fact on our last visit to England we spent a week in the area of the Chiltern Hills where many episodes were filmed so we could see the pretty villages for ourselves.



I blogged about it here.

 As I've watched the beginning of the show I've often wondered what instrument was used in the theme music as the music has an unusual sound.

Today, through the world of Facebook ( thanks to my second cousin Julie !), I learned that it is played by a Theremin.

Now, I'm not at all knowledgeable about musical instruments and I had never heard of a Theremin so I looked it up.

 "A theremin is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the thereminist (performer). The instrument's controlling section usually consists of two metal antennas which sense the relative position of the thereminist's hands and control oscillators for frequency with one hand, and amplitude (volume) with the other. The electric signals from the theremin are amplified and sent to a loudspeaker" ( Thank-you Wikipedia )

They look like this :-


So today I have included this clip from Youtube for your enjoyment and education ( if you are a bit of a dummy like me ! ).

Hope it works !

Cheers.


15 comments:

  1. Well I never! As you say one learns something new every day or as the French say "I will go to bed less stupid tonight"!

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    1. Such a coincidence that I had been wondering about it ( watching repeats of Midsomer while I was sick !!) and then it came up on Facebook.

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  2. I have never heard of that!
    The Chiltern villages are very lovely.

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    1. Me either Elizabeth. It is a strange, spooky sound isn't it?

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    2. Very true, they are very beautiful and peaceful.

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  3. Interesting. I love the theme music. We don't get Midsomer Murders in the US, pity because it looks and sounds like a great show.

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    1. Let's hope you do get it one day Kate . It's been going for over 13 years and is well loved in England and Australia. A lot of its charm is in the settings.

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  4. Sheldon played a theremin on the Big Bang Theory so I knew what one looked like but not the actual name, so Ive learned something new today too.

    Those villages look exactly like what I picture English country scenes look like.

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    1. It is a strange sound isn't it ? Those villages are hard to find Shay as they are often buried in the centre of the modern sprawl around them. It's amazing what they can do on film. I was a bit disappointed, there are lots of prettier villages that are intact all over England.

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  5. When I was manager of the resort on Hinchinbrook Island back in 1986/1987, John Nettles came to stay at the resort for a week's holiday. At the time, he'd just come off from filming "Bergerac" and was with his then girlfriend, Sue, a London nurse.

    He was as nice a person in real life as he was as Tom Barnaby. A good bloke. :)

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  6. I guess you've met lots of these type of people in your job. It is nice to know he was a good bloke, some of them aren't !

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  7. Until I read this post I thought that theremin was an additive used in cattle feed to boost milk production. It must be lovely to play an instrument with no strings or buttons to press - just thin air. Like playing the breeze.

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    1. I'd never thought of it like that YP but you are exactly right.

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  8. I saw this about the theramin being used to create the theme music for Midsomer Murders ~ but I can't remember what exactly. I am thinking it is the same thing I saw Chris Martin from Coldplay play recently. Fascinating aren't they?

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  9. I find it a bit too weird and quite unsettling! It sounds a lot like a human voice.

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