5 . What is the history of music festivals

Outdoor music festivals have become a fixture of summertime for many adults. Many different types of music now have their own festivals, often attracting large audiences.     1     While music festivals appear to be a relatively recent development, their history goes back much further.

The earliest known music festival occurred during the Pythian Games in the 6th century BC. These games took place every four years and were similar to the ancient Olympic games.     2     These festivals were opportunities for contests and games to take place. Musical performances also became common as part of the entertainment.

In the early 19th century, the Bayreuth Festival became one of the first formal and annual musical festivals. This festival began as an occasion to promote the composer Richard Wagner, who wanted to popularize his music.     3     Wagner did become a well-known artist from the period. For later festivals, this showed artists that music festivals could be highly effective to promote their work.

    4     Perhaps the first formal rock festival was the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, which brought that band to the attention of American audiences. Another early festival was the lsle of Wight Festival in 1968. It started as an event with about 10,000 people and featured many famous performers.

Throughout the early 1970s, open-air concerts became more popular. Music festivals were part of larger events at that time. But by the mid-twentieth century, promoters found music festivals holding their own weight in bringing in money. Then music festivals became well established as part of summer culture.     5    

Instruments are a necessary part of making music, but what music sounds like will also depend upon     1     (it) style and rhythm. Music is often divided     2     two main groups: classical and popular. These names can mean different things to different people, and their meanings can change over time.

Popular music is what many people play or listen to for fun. It could be folk, country, pop and rock, or jazz. Often the music style     3     (change) with each new generation of musicians. All over the world there are     4     (talent) musicians who perform this style of music     5     (earn) a living or just for fun. A band of musicians usually play a certain style of music that they like,     6     (create) a sound that is special to them.

Classical music is     7     (most) used to describe more formal music, often performed in front of a seated silent audience. Most of this music     8     (write) a long time ago. Classical music is often played by an orchestra (管弦乐队) in     9     musicians play either woodwind, brass, or string instruments.

There are many famous orchestras throughout     10     world, with many countries having their own special ones.

No matter where you usually hear today’s top hits—the radio, Spotify, a mixtape on your Sony Walkman — you’ve probably noticed that they tend     1     (be) around three minutes long.

As VOX — a classic record company — explains, the custom     2     (date) back to the early 20th century, when shellac records (虫胶唱片) first appeared in the market. The rates at     3     these records spun (旋转) varied, but 78 RPM (每分钟转数) quickly became the norm. Two record sizes contributed to its     4     (popular): 10 inches — which could hold about three minutes of music per side—and 12 inches, which held     5     (rough) four to five minutes per side. To get radio stations to broadcast their music and get people to buy it,       6     (musician) pretty much had to accommodate those time limits.

The late 1940s     7     (see) the birth of the 45 RPM record: a smaller, cheaper disc that couldn’t manage much more     8     three minutes of music per side. Long-playing records (LPs)     9     (introduce) around the same time, but it was much easier for radio stations to play single tracks from 45 RPM record — which crowds of listeners then went out and bought. While 10-inch 78 RPM record had originated the three-minute trend, 45 RPM record really helped make     10     a necessity for radio singles throughout the mid-20th century.