Franciscan nun Sister Irene O'Connor began singing when a teacher in Singapore in the 1960s. The following decade, together with producer Sister Marimil Lobregat, she recorded the 'Fire of God's Love' album which has become a cult classic for its psychedelic-folky sound. Have a listen. It might not be what you'd expect, but it is perhaps consoling.
Like people, songs have afterlives, often long after being initially ignored.
The Passenger, from the 1977 album 'Lust for Life', was released as the b-side (the flip side of vinyl singles) of the ignored single 'Success'. But gradually it made its way in to the mainstream until it became a relentless favourite of movie directors and advertising agencies. All of which is great for Iggy though these different contexts can maybe detract from simply listening to the song.
David Bowie plays the piano (and sings).
Some people may find classical music inaccessible. But even people who like it sometimes struggle with atonal works.
Yet atonal music, where there are no discernible keys or typical harmonies, is over 100 years old and Arnold Schoenberg was at its forefront. Written in 1926-8, this short piece is from one of his most famous works. One way to listen is to not expect harmony or indeed anything. After all, life itself can feel pretty atonal sometimes.
On 7 May 1964, in the disused Wilbraham Road railway station in Manchester, UK, the Blues and Gospel Tour pulled in to the platform. And the local TV station were there to film it.
The line-up was the stuff of musical legend and included gospel star Sister Rosetta Tharpe whose guitar playing was hugely influential for the British blues youngsters such as Eric Clapton and Keith Richard.
Earlier this month, in Lecture Theatre 2 in the Andrew Wiles Building, a collection of talented Oxford Mathematics students, together with colleagues in STEM subjects and beyond, performed Fermat's Last Tango to sell-out crowds over five performances.
Written in 2000 by Joanne Sydney Lessner and Joshua Rosenblum, Fermat's Last Tango tells the story, in words and music, of a 300 hundred-year-old mathematical mystery and the man who spent seven years trying to solve it. Sound familiar?
Musicians make most of their money from live performance these days, but recordings of live concerts can just make you long for the original studio versions. However, there are exceptions. Bruce is one of them. Here is a live version of Hungry Heart. If you want the original for comparison, here it is.
Singer and activist (she doesn't like the title) Peggy Seeger was born in America but now resides in downtown Iffley from where, at the age of 87, she still performs songs about a range of issues from women's experiences to ecological matters. An interesting life.