Beethoven 2 Veg-o-Matic 0
The venerable Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, founded by Sir Thomas Beecham, is actually younger than Noddy Holder and Freddie Mercury. As the RPO glided through its first rehearsal 75 years ago in September 1946, the future front men of Slade and Queen were already bawling at full volume, albeit as babies.
Behind this pub-quizzable fact is a deeper truth. Pop is more established, and the classical establishment sprightlier, than some imagine. Indeed, the RPO’s Hooked on Classics – a medley of hook lines from popular classics overlaid by a drum-machine disco beat, sometimes treated as the reductio ad absurdum of crossover – is 40 years old this August. The 1981 disco prince is now a dad dancer. It’s a story of Art vs Commerce; paying respect vs paying bills; and Beethoven vs the Veg-o-Matic chip slicer.
