Main: From the Library: Silk Road

Journey with us from China, across the steppes of Central Asia, through Persia and the Fertile Crescent, to the Mediterranean. For millennia, this ancient trade route has carried not only silk and spices but culture and language. Today's program samples music from across the region.

From the Library is produced by Radio Riel in conjunction with the Alexandrian Free Library Consortium of Second Life. You can listen to the program now in-world at http://music.radioriel.org, or click one of the buttons below. Today's program is presented by Otenth Paderborn.

Tune in:

For more information on the Alexandrian Free Library, current exhibits and the work of Consortium members in general, please visit the Alexandrian Free Library website, or one of their branches in-world.

From the Library: Scandinavia

Fiddle, voice, nyckelharpa, hurdy-gurdy, jaw harp, accordion: you'll hear all these and more today, with a musical tour of Scandinavia.

From the Library is produced by Radio Riel in conjunction with the Alexandrian Free Library Consortium of Second Life. You can listen to the program now in-world at http://music.radioriel.org, or click one of the buttons below. Today's program is presented by Otenth Paderborn.

Tune in:

For more information on the Alexandrian Free Library, current exhibits and the work of Consortium members in general, please visit the Alexandrian Free Library website, or one of their branches in-world.

Photo: Nyckelharpa by Flickr user Stefano Ricciardi

Gilbert and Sullivan's The Gondoliers

Please join presenter Otenth Paderborn on Sunday, April 3 at 9am SLT for the opera The Gondoliers by Gilbert and Sullivan. If you join us for the listening party at Ormsby Hall, Caledon Mayfair, there will be contests for best costume and for best twitter-ready plot summary (140 character limit).

From the Library: Fifth Tuesday Semi-randomness

Taking a cue from tonight's Terpsichore Tuesday (where, on months with five Tuesdays, I play a random selection from my music library), today's From the Library is a semi-random program. It just wouldn't do to have heavy-metal-influenced bands from Scandinavia right next to the refined harmonies of Anonymous 4 or the delicate notes of a lutenist, so the program is not truly random. Through the day the program will progress from early music, to classical, scandinavian, vocal, new age, and other broad categories.

From the Library is produced by Radio Riel in conjunction with the Alexandrian Free Library Consortium of Second Life. You can listen to the program now in-world at http://music.radioriel.org, or click one of the buttons below. Today's program is presented by Otenth Paderborn.

Tune in:

For more information on the Alexandrian Free Library, current exhibits and the work of Consortium members in general, please visit the Alexandrian Free Library website, or one of their branches in-world.

Not So Easy Listening

The idea behind the monthly "Not So Easy Listening" program on gullar sahir is to present music that might not otherwise have a place in our programming: long forms, oddities, music that needs explanation, and, yes, sometimes, music that's hard to listen to.

For my second such program, I'll have music that challenges us in two ways.

First I will have a few songs to mark the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. On March 25, 1911, 146 garment workers died in a factory fire in downtown Manhattan. Most of them were young immigrant women. The factory owners had locked some of the doors, and the victims either succumbed to the smoke and flames or leapt from the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors.

The longer portion of the program is music by composer Philip Glass, including selections from early works such as Music in Similar Motion and the opera Einstein on the Beach, as well as concert and film music.

Please join us for a listening party at the Clarendon Conservatory, 6-7pm SLT.

Terpsichore Tuesday: Persia

Tonight's Terpsichore Tuesday will have a sampling of music from Persia (which is to say, Iran). Please join us in Second Life at the Harborside Horizon Ballroom, 5-6:30pm SLT, or listen in on gullar sahir's main stream.

Remember: It's Second Life—We can dance to anything!

Terpsichore Tuesday: Finland!

Tonight's Terpsichore Tuesday will have a sampling of music from Finland (and nearby countries). Please join us in Second Life at the Harborside Horizon Ballroom, 5-6:30pm SLT, or listen in on gullar sahir's main stream.

Remember: It's Second Life—We can dance to anything!

From the Library: Celtic miscellany

Bagpipes, yes--but playing Brazilian dance music. Tin pipe, yes--but playing Queen. Celtic, yes--but French. Fiddle, yes--but playing rock. Tune in for some Celtic with a twist!

From the Library is produced by Radio Riel in conjunction with the Alexandrian Free Library Consortium of Second Life. You can listen to the program now in-world at http://music.radioriel.org, or click one of the buttons below. Today's program is presented by Otenth Paderborn.

Tune in:

For more information on the Alexandrian Free Library, current exhibits and the work of Consortium members in general, please visit the Alexandrian Free Library website, or one of their branches in-world.

From the Library: Northern Seas

Today's program features traditional music (and modern interpretations of traditional music) from Scandinavia, from Finland to Orkney.

From the Library is produced by Radio Riel in conjunction with the Alexandrian Free Library Consortium of Second Life. You can listen to the program now in-world at http://music.radioriel.org, or click one of the buttons below. Today's program is presented by Otenth Paderborn.

Tune in:

For more information on the Alexandrian Free Library, current exhibits and the work of Consortium members in general, please visit the Alexandrian Free Library website, or one of their branches in-world.

Photo: north sea walk (büsum) ©frandi-shooters 2010 (via Flickr)

Terpsichore Tuesday: Fasching

We will continue our seasonal revels in a different style at Terpsichore Tuesday, 5-6:30pm SLT/PST. While the traditions of Mardi Gras and Carnival are widely known, other parts of the world have their own celebrations. In German-speaking regions these festivities are known as Fasching. So throw on your Perchten masks or costumes and join us in Second Life at the Harborside Horizon Ballroom, 5-6:30pm SLT, or listen in on gullar sahir's main stream.

Mozart's Don Giovanni

Please join presenter Otenth Paderborn on Sunday, March 6 at 9am SLT for the opera Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. If you join us for the listening party at Ormsby Hall, Caledon Mayfair, there will be contests for best costume and for best twitter-ready plot summary (140 character limit). There will also be a voting machine to help determine the next opera to be broadcast on this first Sunday of the month series.

The opera runs about two and a half hours. Join us in-world for all or part. (The contests will take place during the first hour.)

Terpsichore Tuesday: St David's Day

My collection of Welsh music is neither wide nor deep, but such as it is will be shared during this evening's Terpsichore Tuesday. Our conversation and fellowship will be as sparkling as ever. Please join us in Second Life at the Harborside Horizon Ballroom, 5-6:30pm SLT, or listen in on gullar sahir's main stream.

Mark your calendars!

gullar sahir is happy to announce two new monthly programs with presenter Otenth Paderborn:

Not So Easy Listening premieres Thursday, February 24, 6-7pm SLT, with a listening party at the Clarendon Conservatory. This program on the fourth Thursday of each month will feature somewhat challenging or obscure music that might not otherwise fit into gullar sahir's regular programming. We will begin this series with music of the steppes of central Asia: Tuva, Mongolia, and Tibet. If you have suggestions or requests for themes of future shows, feel free to contact Otenth Paderborn.

Opera with Otenth premieres Sunday, March 6, 9am SLT, with the opera Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. If you join us for the listening party at Ormsby Hall, Caledon Mayfair, there will be contests for best costume and for best twitter-ready plot summary (140 character limit). There will also be a voting machine to help determine the next opera to be broadcast on this first Sunday of the month series.

From the Library: Plucked and Strummed

Today's program features lutes, ouds, guitars, and harps, in both instrumental pieces and as accompaniment to vocals.

From the Library is produced by Radio Riel in conjunction with the Alexandrian Free Library Consortium of Second Life. You can listen to the program now in-world at http://music.radioriel.org, or click one of the buttons below. Today's program is presented by Otenth Paderborn.

Tune in:

For more information on the Alexandrian Free Library, current exhibits and the work of Consortium members in general, please visit the Alexandrian Free Library website, or one of their branches in-world.

Returning to gullar sahir: Terpsichore Tuesday

Terpsichore Tuesday was created by Valentine Janus in April 2009 and hosted by her in City of Enoch until December 2009, when she was no longer able to continue. Steadman Kondor then hosted it at Caledon Mayfair until March 2010. Since September 2010 Captain Veles Jaegermonster and Otenth Paderborn have continued in this fine tradition of musical variety and friendly conversation. And now the event returns to the gullar sahir Main stream!

Captain Veles Jaegermonster and I invite you to the weekly Terpsichore Tuesday dance event at the Harborside Horizon Ballroom, Tuesdays, 5-6:30 pm SLT. The motto of Terpsichore Tuesday is “It’s Second Life—We can dance to anything!” Tonight's theme is "freedom" and will include music to which I've been turning often recently: music of Egypt, Tunisia, and other Islamic countries.

So put on your dancing shoes and join us in-world at the Harborside Horizon Ballroom, or listen in on gullar sahir's main stream.

From the Library: Viking adventures

Nearly every part of modern Europe (and beyond) was touched by the voyages of the vikings. Today's program doesn't extend that far, but does reach from the Baltic states to Iceland, including Ireland and some of the Scottish isles.

From the Library is produced by Radio Riel in conjunction with the Alexandrian Free Library Consortium of Second Life. You can listen to the program now in-world at http://music.radioriel.org, or click one of the buttons below. Today's program is presented by Otenth Paderborn.

Tune in:

For more information on the Alexandrian Free Library, current exhibits and the work of Consortium members in general, please visit the Alexandrian Free Library website, or one of their branches in-world.

From the Library: Music of the Middle East

Today's program includes music that ranges from Morocco to Pakistan, ancient to modern, spare rhythms to ornate vocalization. The mix tends heaviest to Persian and to traditional music, but pop musicians will make occasional appearances, as well as Israeli, Egyptian, and Turkish musicians. The program also includes musicians who are not from the Middle East but whose music is inspired by the traditions of the region.

From the Library is produced by Radio Riel in conjunction with the Alexandrian Free Library Consortium of Second Life. You can listen to the program now in-world at http://music.radioriel.org, or click one of the buttons below. Today's program is presented by Otenth Paderborn.

Tune in:

For more information on the Alexandrian Free Library, current exhibits and the work of Consortium members in general, please visit the Alexandrian Free Library website, or one of their branches in-world.

Image: Egyptian calligraphy of the first four verses (ayat) of Al-Alaq, the 96th chapter (surah) of the Qur'an, from Wikimedia Commons.

From the Library: Klezmer and Eastern Europe

Klezmer reaches from its roots in Eastern European folk traditions to modern experimental jazz. Today's program includes not only contemporary klezmer performers but also traditional Eastern European folk musicians.

From the Library is produced by Radio Riel in conjunction with the Alexandrian Free Library Consortium of Second Life. You can listen to the program now in-world at http://music.radioriel.org, or click one of the buttons below. Today's program is presented by Otenth Paderborn.

Tune in:

For more information on the Alexandrian Free Library, current exhibits and the work of Consortium members in general, please visit the Alexandrian Free Library website, or one of their branches in-world.

Image: Klezmer, from Shtetl, Mayn Khoyever heym; a gedenknish
(Shtetl, My destroyed home; A Remembrance) by Issachar Ryback, 1897-1935.