Classic FM author Tim Lihoreau’s Musical Treasury

Laugh-out-loud new book from ClassicFM’s award-winning breakfast DJ and Cottenham resident Tim Lihoreau out now from all good books shops, amazon etc.

In his latest tome, Tim uses odd British place names to help him define missing and orphaned musical terms, such as swavesey:

the cheesy side-to-side motion, stepping from foot to foot, beloved of barbershop competition choirs

and its counterpoint beeswing:

same as a swavesey, except starting on the off beat.

Then there’s the swaffham prior:

a celebrity who reveals a genuine, hidden talent for classical music, usually Grade 8 in a particular instrument...not to be confused with fickleshole (a person who professes a hitherto unmentioned love of classical music just before their first appearance on a classical radio station

There’s also a swaffham bulbeck:

a camera position beloved of TV concert directors in which the "fish eye" reflection of a musician is seen in the shiny bell of a brass instrument, before panning out

Coincidentally, cottenham is the “material traditionally used to make a standlake, which Tim defines as the “bespoke banner adopted by brass bands that adorns their music stands”.

Conflict of interest: Tim is my BFF and pianist (see entry for black torrington and black notley) for my choir, bigMouth (). By the way, if you’re struggling to prounonce his name, it’s t-im. Hear him weekdays on the More Music Breakfast show on ClassicFM.

Oh, and by the way a hacklet is the old name for a music blogger, perhaps one who favours the frampton end over the farleys end with his own band.