How Cheltenham week creates the perfect soundtrack for music lovers
A week of horse racing may not immediately appear to offer much for music fans, yet it delivers a surprisingly rich soundscape. For those seeking a symphony of sounds, this outing offers far more than expected.
Roar of the crowd
Even for beginners and outsiders, it is hard to resist the allure of a crowd of people cheering on a game or competition. Emotions are always running high, and for some attendees there’s a lot on the line, whether that is money or team solidarity.
More than just a place of sports betting in Ireland, a real music lover can really lose themselves in the sounds of the crowds. All at once, the environment exposes hundreds, if not thousands of different voices, each with a unique timbre and cadence. Focusing on those voices can be a real exercise in listening abilities. It can also simply be a fun experience to witness so much happening all at once.
There’s also a structure or rhythm to people’s voices at these events. The lulls that ensue right before a race begins can be a fun moment to concentrate on, waiting for the second when the roars return at precisely the moment that the horses launch. At the end of the race, a trained ear will be able to pick out the cheers of elation and victory from the signs and groans of defeat.
Stampeding of horses
For some people, the best sounds to encounter at Cheltenham will be that of the animals. Being the main attraction of this event, the sound of horses running along the tracks is surely going to be music to the ears, and not just for the people walking home with extra cash.
The sound of a dozen horses galloping on various terrains can be a unique listening experience. It is possible to hear the texture of horseshoes on clay, dirt or mud, which can be an interesting experience for people who love to take in the sounds.
There’s also the fact that many music lovers are animal lovers too. It can be interesting to hear the sounds of a strong, healthy horse exercising its abilities. It’s not quite the same kind of relaxation as drinking whisky and reading poetry, but it’s still an invigorating experience for both the body and mind.
Plus, lucky attendees might get close enough to the horses themselves before or after a race, so they can hear the breathing of the animals, as well as a more casual pace of horseshoe steps.
Sporting anthems for community and morale
The closest thing anyone is going to get to regular music are the anthems that will be sung and played at the Cheltenham event. Many people memorize entire songs to sing from the crowd, either to show their respect and admiration to any jockeys or just to simply revel a bit with their friends.
Any music lover knows that songs can help to build morale, remind people of their duties and build bonds with people. Singing songs is a tradition at a lot of sporting events. All these things are part of a horse racing event.
People will sing for joy, sing for encouragement or even because they really believe deep down that it will increase the odds of their team winning. It’s to be expected, as the Cheltenham Week horse racing event is deeply tied to Cheltenham’s music festival, which regularly showcases folk, jazz and more.
In other words, many of the attendees are probably going to be deep music lovers themselves. This means a music lover who doesn’t necessarily have a passion for horses will very easily be able to find like-minded people when it comes to music appreciation. Many of them end up visiting the same resorts after the event is finished, making it even easier to connect and stay in touch.
In short, music is not only easy to find at the Cheltenham Week festival but it’s a part of it in many ways. Though common sense and intuition wouldn’t normally allow someone to draw connections between music loving and horse racing, hopefully a warm visit to this Cheltenham respite will open up more musical possibilities than one might originally expect.
The editorial unit
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