Your First Exposure

[kiteless]

To classical music.

When, and what was it?

In 2002, after years of Chicago blues / 70's rock / Grunge / Metal / Trance, I was in a car with my Contracts Manager visiting a site in Loughborough. All the way to the site and back, ClassicFM was on his radio in the car. Now at the time "Relaxing Classics at Two" was still running with Nick Bailey and his patented "Mogadon" voice. I didn't have a bloody clue what the tunes were, but it was awfully good listening.

Shortly afterwards, I bought my first classical CD. Can't remember the name of it, but it was a chillout selection. The first track on it was a movement from Dvorak's Serenade for Strings, and that will always be a perennial favourite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI_Htx5n1wc

[Asterix]

I had heard various bits of classical before but the main exposure was this...

School trip when I was 14 - Royal Festival Hall, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Holst - The Planets.

To say it was a life changing experience wouldn't do it justice - Hearing the opening bars for 'Mars' and what came next blew my mind.

[oldbanger]

in the womb

I grew up with radio 3 and 4 in the background constantly at home (the radio in the kitchen only got turned off at night). As a small kid I much preferred classical to pop.

[kiteless]

Asterix said:

I had heard various bits of classical before but the main exposure was this...

School trip when I was 14 - Royal Festival Hall, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Holst - The Planets.

To say it was a life changing experience wouldn't do it justice - Hearing the opening bars for 'Mars' and what came next blew my mind.

"Mars: The Bringer of War"? Live? At 14? I'd have ended up crying in the corner

Great tune for brisk driving, though.

[Animal]

My mother used to play the 1812 Overture to send me to sleep. It was on a compilation record that also had Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy and Orpheus In The Underworld. End of the '70's and I can still remember the record sleeve!