BBC: Williams top of Classic FM vote

Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending has been voted best classical piece of music by radio listeners for the second year running.

Look, I know diddly-squat about classical music, but I should imagine this sort of thing annoys the real classical music fan about as much as it infuriates me when one of the perennial best-ever pop song polls has seven boy bands in the top ten.

The Lark Ascending: great tune, quintessentially British, actually sounds like a lark, written by Charles Darwin’s great-nephew—what’s not to like? But best piece of classical music ever? Is that the best you can come up with, culture vultures?

Do us a favour!

Personally, I’d have gone for At the Castle Gate from Pelleas and Melisande by Sibelius (better known to UK readers as the theme tune to The Sky at Night). The first note alone wins if for me. Eat that, Beethoven! Crank it up to eleven. But, like I said, I know diddly-squat about classical music, so I’m not entitled to vote.

Democracy is a load of old bollocks at times.