Complaint Choirs

One of my very favorite television shows is Sunday Morning on CBS. I look forward to it all week long, and when I wake on Sunday mornings, it's the first thing that comes to mind. I usually wake with just enough time to brew a pot of coffee and get comfortable in front of the television.

There's Charles Osgood with his familiar voice and stylish bow ties, there's the welcoming theme song played by Wynton Marsalis on piccolo trumpet, there are all the many different smiling and thoughtful sun images. In snappy, playful segments spoken and sung by a colorful cast of correspondents, the show covers current events, trends, art, leisure, culture, technology, literature, music, movies, and more. Each episode ends with a short nature scene—reindeer grazing about their Norway home, for instance—uninterrupted and silent, except for the sounds of wind and life. My Sunday morning is a cup of coffee, a good show, and nothing else to do. It's a quality experience, and I enjoy every moment of it.

I've been meaning to share with you: A few Sundays back, they did a segment on "complaint choirs." Large groups of people get together and sing their gripes, whatever they may be. I want my money back / My job is like a cul-de-sac / And the bus is too infrequent at 6:30... The first complaint choir was started in Birmingham, England, where there is much to complain about, but now the choirs exist all over the world. Complaining is, after all, universal. Composers collect complaints from people in their city, and put those complaints to music.

So, I'm thinking the next Cantus album should be a bunch of audiophile complaint songs. My amp is driving me out of my mind / That test is null because it wasn't double-blind / And nobody knows how to listen...

I think this can work.

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Comments
Roger Vance's picture

Stephen- You are absolutely right about Sunday Morning. I used to watch it until Meet the Press came on (the wife needs her politic fix), but lately I have been finding excuses to leave it on. It's one of the best shows on tv for all the reasons you stated. I especially enjoyed the in-depth story about the clothing optional barista wars in Seattle. You don't get that on Meet the Press!

michaelavorgna's picture

my hi-fi is not live unamplified acoustic instruments / my hi-fi isn't even a violin / my hi-fi mustn't be real / I hear dead people

Monty's picture

I'll contribute to the effort with "Stereophile's G-Damn new scroll bar in the center of the screen sucks Donkey balls." ;) I really dig Sunday Morning as well. I often find myself wishing that the final few minutes would simply continue as a loop.

rvance's picture

Everything you say about this show is correct, sir! I love the horn intro, too. Reminds me of Penny Lane, one of my favorite Beatle songs. This is the best way to start a Sunday, when everyone else is sleeping in and I have the place all to myself.

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