Reasons to love Summer 1: Music

I always think it's a shame that they choose to put exams at the beginning of summer, because it really does put a downer on what is, in my opinion, the loveliest season. Especially in Exeter. For anyone who has not yet experienced Exeter in the summertime: firstly, shame on you, and secondly, do it. Because there are few places lovelier than the South-West in the summer months. There are many reasons why I love summer, which I do plan to share with you. My first, and probably most unsurprising, for those of you that know me, is music.

Music in the summer is always the best kind, don't you think? Hundreds of people make playlists specifically for summer, but you don't see many people making playlists for any of the other seasons very often, do you? Music brought out in the summer always has the aim to relax, to take advantage of that lazy, celebratory summer feeling. Summer is the time I find myself pulling out my oldest (OK, so maybe not oldest) music collections, and listening to things like this:

You gotta love a bit of Hanson :-P. That song, along with The Beach Boys, The Doors, Jack Johnson, Frank Sinatra, The Drifters, Colbie Caillat, and Mungo Jerry, forms a large part of my summer music choices.

Of course, summer also means BBC Proms season, aka the season where I get increasingly antisocial as I lock myself away listening to the world's musicians. And this season looks set to be completely fantastic (as always). Highlights this year for me will be, without a doubt, Proms 6, 14, 39, 42, 44, 53, 68, and 72, amongst others (guess who the Russian Romantic fan is...).

For me, though, music in the summer doesn't just mean listening to it, but performing it, as well. Which is why the prospect of this summer is even more exciting :-) EUSO (no longer my baby, but still a massive part of my life) are performing our annual Proms-style concert, complete with Weber, Mozart, Beethoven, and the traditional Proms favourites: click here for full playlist. It's going to be wonderful. And, perhaps the culmination of almost a year's work by dozens of people, EU Choral Society, along with a whole host of other musicians and an awesome troupe of dancers, are performing Carmina Burana. I can hardly contain myself for the excitement. Not only that, but as well as these, the University of Exeter Arts Week 2011 is happening. Amazing.

So here is where I apologise in advance for any shameless plugging and/or rambling on about how amazing it's all going to be (except I already did that). And here is where I'm sure you'll agree that it's shaping up to be a pretty awesome summer :-)