Whitney Houston.

M. LYSENKO.

Text for Supplementary Reading.

Group discussion.

Are you for or against pop music?

For pop music.

- young people search for new rhythms and new styles;

- the new rhythms are full of force. The teens are happy and easily caught;

- the words of the songs deal with the younger people's world, their hopes, dreams, joys;

- young people " get tremendous kicks" listening to this music;

- it's an experimental kind of music.

Against pop music.

- the rhythms may be new and vigorous, but they lack variety, it's the same monotonous beat again and again. The tunes are primitive and easily forgotten;

- the words of some songs are senseless;

- medical research has proved that the volume of sound at some pop concerts does great damage both to the senses of hearing and to the nervous system;

- cases of mass hysteria are usual at pop concerts;

- in Australia taped pop music is used to frighten sharks off the public beaches.

VIII. Discuss the following questions with your partner.

2. When do you enjoy listening to music?

a) while you are working;

b) while you are doing something else (e. g. driving, having a bath, cooking);

c) in the morning as soon as you get up;

d) in the evening when you are relaxing.

3. How do you prefer to listen to music?

a) at a live concert;

b) on a good quality sound system;

c) on a personal stereo;

d) on video.

4. Do you always listen to the same kind of music?

5. Which types of music do you like?

(heavy metal, hip – hop, jungle, pop, rap, techno, soul, trance, hardcore, mellow, rave)

IX. Write a letter to your friend about your favourite group or singer.

Mykola Lysenko, born 22 March 1842 in Hrynky, Poltava gubernia, died 6 November 1912 in Kyiv. Composer, ethnomusicologist, conductor, pianist, teacher and community figure. The descendent of an aristocratic Cossack family, he acquired the rudiments of piano playing from his mother. From 1860 he studied in Kharkiv and Kyiv universities, graduating in 1865 with a degree in natural sciences. His close relationships with M. Starytsky, V. Antonovych and his activities in the " Hromada" in Kyiv led him to make a strong personal commitment to the development of Ukrainian music. He furthered his music studies in Leipzig. After returning to Kyiv to work as a music teacher and conductor, he moved to St. Petersburg to study under

N. Rimsky – Korsakov. Then he returned to Kyiv in 1904 to open his own school of music and drama.

At this time, Lysenko was at the center of Ukrainian cultural and musical life in Kyiv. He gave piano recitals and organized choirs through Ukraine. His musical compositions were numerous and varied. His operatic works include the operetta " Natalka from Poltava"; the operas, based on works by N. Gogol " Christmas Night", " Utopia", " Taras Bulba"; three operas for children. Lysenko wrote many compositions for the piano and the violin. He was interested in musical folklore. He recorded wedding songs, dumas and songs performed by the renowned Kobzar O. Veresai.

Lysenko was the founder of the national movement in music based on a specific Ukrainian cultural tradition. His prolific and versatile life's work became the foundation for the further development of Ukrainian music culture.

Whitney Houston was born into a music family in Newark, New Jersey, in 1963. Her mother, Cissy Houston, was a gospel music singer and sometimes performed as a backing vocalist with Elvis Presley.

Whitney began singing gospel songs in church when she was II years old. While studying at college she occasionally sang backing vocal for rhythm and blues singers. She made her first album in 1985, which was an immediate hit, and later won many Grammy awards. While she was enjoying all this success, she married the singer Bobby Brown. In 1992 she starred in " The Bodyguard" with Kevin Costner, and had her biggest hit, " I will always love you".

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