* THANK YOU,YOU KIND & GENEROUS PEOPLE *...It's funny really what can bring us all together - perhaps it's music, a great voice, profound lyrics, a haunting melody, the sweet sounds of a beautiful choir or choral chorus singing lovely old Christmas carols, or the beguiling voice of Julie ANDREWS or Dame Kiri TE KANAWA. And in my humble opinion, our National Anthem has never been intoned better, than that rendition by Ms Julie ANTHONY

I've carefully read each of your suggestions and I'll do my level best to listen to EVERY SINGLE ONE of your considered proposals, and I thank everyone very much indeed, for your input and your recommendations.

Extraordinarily, there's one movement I find both sombre and yet quite intriguing, and I don't really know why ? It's the German born composer, Handel's 'Funeral March'. The first movement is without doubt, a very heavy, bleak and sombre piece of music, that ultimately transforms itself into something else entirely ?

Thank you all very much for so kindly sharing your proclivities in music tastes, I've no doubt it's stirred some great memories in most of us, for times and people that have gone by.

Hello there FOXY...

Thank you very much for enquiring about 'MACARTHUR PARK', sung by Richard HARRIS for me. I love it, but it does somehow unsettle me ? I used to listen to it on my little Aiwa tape recorder, whilst sitting shirtless outside our tent at Nui Dat, while gazing across at the bloody Long Hai's ? A song, or words can transport a person way back to another time and place I reckon ? Thanks again FOXY !

My first post! Hello everyone. As a musician of 45 years, I have a very eclectic taste. I love the "Flower Duet" from LAHKME and Nessun Dorma played by Jeff Beck on Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010. I hate all things Elvis, and do not like anything he recorded. Just me. I still listen to Moody Blues and CS&N regularly, just to feel young again. Yes .."Close to the Edge" is another favourite, and so is Rodrigues .."Cold Fact, and my all-time Favourite Album .. "Oddessy and Oracle" by the Zombies. This captures the swinging sixties and flowers and Carnaby Street fashions perfectly for me. You all have such a mix of likes and dislikes! However there is a lot of good music in this discussion. Please continue, I am enjoying the posts. F/E

I was listening to a lot of this sort of music in 07-08 when I was drying out after 15 years of alchoholism and drug use, it soothes the raw nerve endings and slows the tears alright but damned if I'm not right back in that head space listening to it, especially that rendition of "Wild Horses":
Emmylou Harris - If I Needed You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a3jr-Xn1GM
Guy Clark - L.A. Freeway
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTwUpkEK6yk
Richard Thompson - Beeswing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HApy-Xoix-g
Steve Earle - Fort Worth Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4WOys7sWvU
Nanci Griffith & Townes Van Zandt - Tecumseh Valley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7_oQU2vuUQ
Lucinda Williams and Elvis Costello - Wild Horses
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYAOFFzDct4

My everyday spotify playlists however are mostly full of European rock music.
Korpiklaani - Pellonpekko (Finland)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP3Qacgn66E
Anneke van Giersbergen - "Take Me Home" (Netherlands)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu0ZWRKgi_E&list=PLldnQ5smt4IPbX1LAbnc6f9Q6kbLHNsNR
Nightstalker - Baby, God Is Dead (Greece)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdNQcChKMmM
Motorjesus - King Of The Dead End Road Live (Germany)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M60SdtYmv28
The Carburetors - "Allright Allright" (Sweden)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3F5xAVkDek
Subway To Sally - Besser Du Rennst (Germany)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZtJMUXOS7A

so far as western music is concerned Marty Robbins' FELEENA & Big Iron are great songs.

Good evening to you G'DAYBRUCE...

I will admit you're probably the only person I've ever met that doesn't have at least some taste in music ? Is it only orchestral music, or does it include all vocals too perhaps ? A very strange situation I must say ? Nevertheless, I fully respect your views and opinions concerning music equating it merely to 'noise'.

Thank you for your comment, I do appreciate it.

Gosh I feel like a redheaded stepchild here...

I'm a fan of Kamelot, Serenity, Katatonia, Nightwish, Xandria, Draconian.