音樂劇《仙樂飄飄處處聞》的歌詞這樣說：”The hills are alive with the sound of music, with songs they have sung for a thousand years.”
Make the Piano Sing, Sing, Sing
上世紀最著名鋼琴家 Vladimir Horowitz 說過：”On playing instrumental music, if you played percussively, the piano is a bore. The goal is to make the piano sing, sing, sing.” 鋼琴彈到像唱歌一樣，就最美妙了！
說到樂器的演奏者，我們多以 suffix（後綴詞）來表達：We often use the suffix “ist” for the person who plays a particular instrument, e.g. pianist, violinist, saxophonist, cellist, organist. But we say trumpeter, drummer, and usually keyboard player. The word for a flute player is a flautist.
“The symphony must be like the world. It must embrace everything.”（Gustav Mahler）
交響樂隊的主要樂器 orchestral instruments 可分四大類：
1. Stringed instruments 弦樂器：violin 小提琴，viola 中提琴，cello 大提琴，double bass 低音提琴。
2. Brasses 銅管樂器：trumpet 小喇叭，tuba 低音大喇叭，trombone 伸縮喇叭，bugle 軍樂號，cornet 短號，French horn 法國號。
3. Woodwinds 木管樂器：flute 長笛，clarinet 單簧管，oboe 雙簧管，saxophone 薩克斯管，bassoon 巴松管。
4. Percussion 敲擊樂器：drums 鼓，tambourine 鈴鼓，kettledrum 定音鼓，cymbal 鈸。
Types of music 歌曲主要類型：classical music 古典音樂，folk music民歌，jazz 爵士樂，pop music 流行音樂，rock and roll 搖滾樂等。
形容歌手，有頗多 singer 的近義詞：vocalist, crooner, minstrel, soloist, troubadour, chorister, balladeer, songster, songstress（a female singer used in newspapers）。
形容美好歌聲 voice 的字彙，例如 a sonorous voice 雄渾的，渾厚的嗓音；sonorous = having a pleasant full deep sound：the rich sonority of the bass 男低音飽滿渾厚的音色。類似 sonorous 的近義詞，還有resonant, full, round, deep, clear, mellow, fruity, strong, resounding, reverberant 等可供選擇。
不同歌者的主要唱法 types of singing voice：alto 女低音，baritone 男中音，bass 低音，falsetto 男高音的假聲，soprano 女高音，tenor 次中音。
Bravo/Encore
兩個喝釆和叫好的名詞：
Bravo 喝釆聲，an audience shouts “Bravo!” to show how much they have enjoyed a performance, such at the concert hall；
Encore 再來一個，an audience shouts “Encore!” at the end of a concert to ask for a short extra performance，在音樂會結束時觀眾要求再奏一曲。
Music Idioms
face the music 毅然承擔錯失的責任，接受批評或懲罰，to accept responsibility for something you have done；承担後果，受到懲罰，面對危險，to accept criticism or punishment for something you have done；
music to my ears 悅耳的聲音，我很高興聽到的信息，例如長期引頸以待，希望聽到的好消息：something we are happy and pleased to hear about。
Singing Idioms
sing the same song/sing the same tune 保持同樣的論調和態度；
sing from the same hymn/song sheet /book 唱同一調子，在公開場合口徑一致；
sing a different tune 改變觀點，改弦易轍：You are singing a different tune now! 今日的我，打倒昨日的我；
sing out 叫出/ 唱出：to shout some words or call out clearly and loudly；
sing up 放開嗓門，大聲地唱：Sing up, boys. We can’t hear you! 大聲唱，我們聽不見；sing up a storm 充滿熱情，大幹一番；
sing along 隨着主音歌手、唱片、錄音一起唱：Do sing along if you know the words. 你要是知道歌詞，就跟着唱吧；
sing somebody’s/something’s praises 讚揚某人：to praise someone or something very much with enthusiasm。
Song Idioms
go for a song 賤賣，以出乎意料低價售出，sold for an unexpectedly low price。例句：He sold the house for a song five years ago = he sold it very cheaply；
make a song and dance (about something) 為某事大驚小怪；為某事過分激動：overreacting to something unimportant，小題大做的抱怨；無無謂謂的吵閙，you are making an unnecessary fuss about it。Make a song and dance of your loved ones with the light-hearted classic Mamma Mia；
swansong 絕唱 is the last piece of work that an artist or writer produces, the last time someone give a performance。例子：This concert will be her swansong. 藝術家、音樂家等最後的作品；演員的告別演出；運動員的告別比賽都屬於這類「天鵝之歌」；
假如你想說勝負還沒有決定，還有希望追趕，不到最後，結果難料，你可以用一句有趣的成語來表達：It’s not over until the fat lady sings.
本專欄逢周二、五發表
