The identity of some of the world’s most famous hymn tunes, played by a great brass band, wouldn't completely stump most pub quiz teams, regardless of their religious or musical backgrounds – but not it seems, star students of Magdalen College Oxford and Sidney Sussex College Cambridge.
University Challenge
They locked horns on ‘University Challenge’ last night, with questions answered on subjects as diverse as quantum physics to pre Raphaelite painters, but came totally unstuck when they had to identify the names of a quartet of hymns played by Grimethorpe Colliery Band.
Starter for 10
Jeremy Paxman’s starter for 10 was ‘Cwm Rhondda’, to which one bright lad suggested was actually ‘Once in Royal David’s City’.
This brought a look of complete and utter incomprehensible disdain from the host — one he usually reserves for humbling government ministers, whilst an equally misinformed rival thought it may have been, ‘Men of Harlech’.
This brought a look of complete and utter incomprehensible disdain from the host — one he usually reserves for humbling government ministers4BR
Failure
A couple of minutes later, the cream of the finest Oxbridge minds – the men and women who will one day lead the country in commerce, education and politics, failed to identify ‘Dear Lord and Father of Mankind’ and almost inexplicably ‘The Lord’s My Shepherd’, although they did get ‘Abide with Me’.
Paxman greeted the display of incompetence with his trademark poison tipped sardonic sneer, which for the viewer at home, was worth the BBC licence fee for the year as the crestfallen students recoiled in horror and self loathing as their musical ignorance was revealed.
Young Ones
You were left to wonder what the ‘The Young Ones’ of Rick, Vivian, Mike and Neil, representing ‘Scumbag College’ all those years ago would have made of it all....
You can see their efforts at around the 15 minute mark of the programme on the iplayer at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01mm7vn/University_Challenge_2012_2013_Episode_6/
For a bit of extra swotting yourselves, go to Grimethorpe’s Hymn tunes CDS, which can be found at:
http://www.4barsrest.com/shopping/cd_detail.asp?id=756
