ejaasaari/simplewiki-2025-04-01 huggingface dataset:
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British orchestra based in London. It travels around to give concerts in many places. History. The RPO was started just after World War II, in 1946, by the conductor Sir Thomas Beecham. Beecham did not start to get his players together until three weeks before the first concert which took place in Croydon on September 15, 1946. Beecham was principal conductor until his death in 1961. When the orchestra toured the United States in 1950 they were the first British orchestra to visit America since the London Symphony Orchestra in 1912. Beecham controlled all the organization of the orchestra. After Beecham’s death, the orchestra was made into a self-governing group, like the other London orchestras. They went through some difficult years. In 1963 the Royal Philharmonic Society decided they would stop asking the RPO to play for their concerts, and in Glyndebourne, where the RPO had played for the opera since 1948, the London Philharmonic Orchestra became the resident orchestra instead. Sir Malcolm Sargent helped the orchestra to put on its own concerts at a cinema in north London. The orchestra had made an agreement with the Royal Philharmonic Society about the concerts it would play. This meant it could call itself “Royal”. In the 1960s the work they were doing no longer allowed them to call themselves “Royal”, so in 1966 the Queen officially gave them the title “Royal”. In 1992 the orchestra appointed Peter Maxwell Davies as associate conductor and composer of the RPO. On April 7, 1994, the Royal Philharmonic had the honour of performing at the Vatican in the historic "Papal Concert to Commemorate the Holocaust" with Sir Gilbert Levine. The RPO give a series of concerts in the Cadogan Hall, London, and in the Royal Albert Hall. They tour all over Britain and also abroad. In the period 2002-2007 they played in 30 different countries. Recordings. The orchestra made many recordings with Sir Thomas Beecham. In
Sir Adrian Cedric Boult CH (8 April 1889 – 22 February 1983) was an English conductor. Life. Early years. Boult was born in Chester. He went to school in Westminster School and studied at Christ Church, Oxford. He then went to the Leipzig Conservatory where he learnt to conduct by watching the great Hungarian conductor Arthur Nikisch. He sang in choral festivals and at the Leeds Festival of 1913, where he went to watch Nikisch conduct. During World War I he worked for the War Office, and while he was there in 1918 he planned a series of concerts with the London Symphony Orchestra, which included several important new British works including Gustav Holst's "The Planets", "A London Symphony" by Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Elgar's "Symphony No. 2". When Boult was a boy he had already met Elgar. Elgar now wrote to him and said he felt sure the future of his music was safe in Boult's hands. Boult was at the start of a great career in which he conducted a lot of 20th century British music. Birmingham and the BBC. In 1924 Boult became conductor of the City of Birmingham Orchestra—now the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra — and in 1930 he was made Director of Music at the BBC. When the BBC formed the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Boult also became its chief conductor, combining both jobs. Boult became famous for conducting a wide repertoire, including the very modern-sounding music of Arnold Schoenberg. In 1933 he married Ann Wilson, the ex-wife of the singer and administrator Steuart Wilson. The marriage lasted until Boult's death. Boult was knighted in 1937. War years and after. During World War II the BBC Symphony Orchestra was evacuated to Bristol. Even there it was not safe from the bombing and they moved again to Bedford. After the war the BBC started the BBC Third Programme and Boult was involved in many new plans for concerts and recordings. In 1948, Steuart Wilson became Director of Music at the BBC. Some people were saying that the music on the BBC was not so good
Franz Lehár (born 30 April 1870; died 24 October 1948) was an Austrian composer of Hungarian descent. He was the leading composer of operettas in the 20th century. He is still one of the most popular composers of light music. His life. Lehár was born in Komáron in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Today the town is called Komárno and it is in Slovakia. He was the eldest son of a bandmaster in the Austro-Hungarian army. He studied violin and composition at the Prague Conservatory. Antonín Dvořák told him he should be a composer. After graduation in 1899, he joined his father's band in Vienna, as assistant bandmaster. In 1902 he became conductor at the historic Vienna Theater an der Wien, where his first opera "Wiener Frauen" was performed in November of that year. He is most famous for his operettas. The best known one is "The Merry Widow" (in German: "Die lustige Witwe") which is probably the most popular of all operettas. He also wrote sonatas, symphonic poems, marches, and a number of waltzes, some of which come from his famous operettas. Some of the songs from his operettas have become very well-known, especially "Vilja" from "The Merry Widow" and "You Are My Heart's Delight" ("Dein ist mein ganzes Herz") from "The Land of Smiles". The tenor Richard Tauber sang in many of his operettas. Six of them had parts especially written for him. Lehár died in 1948 in Bad Ischl, near Salzburg where he was also buried. His villa in Bad Ischl is now a museum in his memory.
The planet Neptune has a planetary ring system that is not very bright. It is made up of a few rings and some "ring arcs". The "ring arcs" are part of the outer ring called the Adams ring and are not to be seen anywhere else. The ring "particles" (small parts) are weirdly dark colored, and have large amounts of microscopic dust. Neptune has fourteen moons. Four of them orbit the planet inside the outermost rings. Discovery and observations. The rings around Neptune could not be seen from Earth with strong telescopes. The evidence that they were there was first seen when scientists were watching the planet as it passed between the Earth and a star. (When this happens, the light of the star is blocked. This is called "stellar occulation".) Scientists watched this happen 50 times, and on five of those times in the early 1980s they saw the star give a little "blink" just before or after the planet covered it. This meant that rings around the planet were blocking the light, but the rings were not complete. In 1989 the unmanned spacecraft "Voyager 2" flew by Neptune. "Voyager 2" sent back pictures that gave most of the information that scientists now have about the rings of Neptune. The pictures also help scientists to know why the rings looked incomplete. Not only did the pictures give a closer view, but they also showed the rings in a way that cannot ever be seen from earth. From earth the rings are always seen with the light of the sun shining "towards" them. When the spacecraft went past the planet, it took pictures with the sun shining "behind" the rings, as well. Big "particles" in the rings looked dark against the sunlight, but all tiny dust "particles" (microscopic dust) shone brightly when the sun was behind it. This allowed the scientists to work out what the rings were made of, and how all the particles were arranged. As better types of telescopes have been developed, scientists can now see some of the rings from earth. The brightness of Neptune makes it hard to see the rings, which are much dimmer and the faintest rings still cannot
Baudouin I ( or ; 7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993) was the King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993.  The king was the oldest son of King Leopold III (1901-1983) and his first wife, Princess Astrid of Sweden (1905-1935).  On 15 December 1960, Baudouin was married in Brussels to Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón. The King and Queen had no children. All of the Queen's five pregnancies ended in miscarriage. Badouin died of heart failure. Having had no children, the crown passed on to his brother, Albert II of Belgium, following his death. During Baudouin's reign the colony of Belgian Congo became independent.
Core generally is the heart or inner part of a thing, as of a column, wall, rope, of a boil, etc.; especially, the central part of fruit, containing the kernels or seeds; as, the core of an apple or quince. Core could mean: In media: In science and academics: In computers and technology: Acronyms:
A mesocyclone is a vortex of air, about 2 to 10 km in diameter (the mesoscale of meteorology), inside a convective storm. That is, it is air that rises and rotates around a vertical axis, usually in the same direction as low pressure systems in a given hemisphere. They are most often cyclonic, that is, related with a localized low pressure area inside a severe thunderstorm. Such storms can create strong surface winds and a lot of hail. Mesocyclones often happen together with updrafts in supercells, where tornadoes may form.  The word mesocyclone originated around 1970–75; meso- + cyclone] This word is first recorded in the period 1970–75. meso- is a combining form meaning “middle,” used in the formation of compound words. Mesocyclones are normally relatively very small in size; they lie between the synoptic scale (hundreds of kilometers) and small scale (hundreds of meters).
Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university in Miami-Dade County, Florida, west of the Miami city limits in the United States. (The campus has a Miami mailing address.) The university is the largest university in South Florida and also the fifth-largest university in Florida, and the thirteenth-largest university in the country. FIU's programs in law, architecture and business are amongst its most well-ranked and most known programs. The mascot of FIU is a panther, named Roary, and students and fans of the university's athletic teams are often called "Panthers". On March 15, 2018, a pedestrian bridge at the university collapsed and killed six people.
A sash is of a cloth belt used to hold a robe together, and usually tied about the waist. The Japanese equivalent of a sash, called an "obi", serves to hold a kimono together. Decorative sashes may pass from the shoulder to the hip rather than around the waist. Sashes traditionally form part of formal military uniform and the royal attire. The meaning "strip of cloth worn about the waist or over the shoulder" was first recorded in 1681.
Willows are a group of trees and shrubs which may be called sallows or osiers. Their Latin name is "Salix". Willows have many differences in size and type of growth, but are very much alike in other respects. There are about 350 species of this plant, usually found on moist soils in cooler zones in the Northern Hemisphere. Many hybrids are known, both naturally occurring and in cultivation, because willows are very fertile. Willows have watery bark sap, charged with salicylic acid (defence against herbivory). They have soft, usually pliant (bendy), tough wood, slender branches, and large, fibrous, often stoloniferous roots. The roots are remarkable for their toughness, size, and are hard to kill. Roots readily sprout from aerial parts of the plant. Willows are dioecious, with male and female flowers appearing as catkins on separate plants. The catkins are produced early in the spring, often before the leaves.
Elegance is the attribute of being unusually effective and simple. It is frequently used as a standard of {tastefulness, particularly in the areas of fashion and decoration. Some associate elegance with simplicity of design. Others understand the word in an opulent light as in tasteful richness of design or ornamentation, like in "the "elegance" of clothings." Visual stimuli are considered elegant if a small number of colors and stimuli are used. The color white is often associated with elegance, usually along with blue or black.
A courtesan was often a high-class prostitute or mistress, especially one associated with rich, powerful, or noble men who gave  luxuries and status in exchange for her services. In Renaissance Europe, courtesans had an important role in high class society, sometimes taking the place of wives at social roles requiring diplomacy. Courtesans usually enjoyed more freedom than was typical of women at the time. For example, they did not have money problems, and were more independent. Madame de Pompadour (1721–1764), the famous mistress and favorite of King Louis XV of France, was a courtesan. Courtesans also existed in many countries outside Europe, such as India and Japan.
A jester, joker, fool, or buffoon, is a type of entertainer mostly (but not always) associated with the Middle Ages. Jesters typically wore brightly colored clothing. Their hats, sometimes called the "cap ’n bells" or "cockscomb", were special; made of cloth, they were floppy with three points (liliripes) each of which had a jingle bell at the end.  The three points of the hat represent the asses' ears and tail worn by jesters when they first appeared. Other typical things about the jester were his constant laughter and his mock scepter, known as a "bauble" or "maharoof."
A hairstyle is the way hair is cut and styled. A haircut may be just practical, but a hairdo suggests professional styling. The fashioning of hair is an aspect of fashion, and cosmetics, especially for females. Practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence hairstyles. People in many cultures cut their hair, rather than letting it grow naturally. Hair styles are often used to signal cultural, social, and ethnic identity and can be used to show social status or get attention.  Generally, hairstyles are influenced by gender. Women's styles are often longer than men's. Fashion trends may have a great influence depending on the person. Galleria. There is a great variety of hairstyles. This can best be explained by examples:
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege and often financial aid given by a person or an organization. It can also refer to the business given by a regular customer, and the guardianship of saints. In some countries the term is often used to describe the corrupt use of state money and goods to benefit groups, families, ethnicities or races in exchange for votes. These patronage systems are different depending on the area in which they are practiced. The term comes from the Latin "patronatus".
The Indian national calendar (sometimes called Saka calendar) is the official civil calendar in India. It is used by the Gazette of India, news broadcasts by All India Radio, and in calendars and communications issued by the Government of India. Calendar structure. The months in the first half of the year all have 31 days. This was done to take in account for the slower movement of the sun across the sky during that time. In leap years, Chaitra has 31 days and starts on March 21.
A crane is a type of tall wading birds from the family Gruidae (order Gruiformes). There are 15 species in 4 genera. The tallest is the sarus crane, "Grus antigone", which can grow to a height of up to 1.8 m (5.9 ft), Cranes look a lot like herons but they are usually larger, and have a partly naked head, and a more heavy bill. When they are flying, their long neck is stretched out in front, and the legs trail out behind. The earliest fossils of cranes were discovered in North America. Living forms are living everywhere all over the world except in Antarctica and South America. Many populations are endangered by hunting and habitat destruction. Description. Cranes are tall birds with long legs. Cranes are large birds, the world's tallest flying birds. They range in size from the demoiselle crane, which is 90 cm (35 in) in length, to the sarus crane, which may be up to 176 cm (69 in). The heaviest is the red-crowned crane, which can weigh 12 kg (26 lb) before migrating. They are usually brown, white, or gray in color. There are over 15 kinds of species of cranes. They look rather like herons. The whooping crane ("Grus americana") is the tallest American bird. Adults stand 5 feet tall and have a wingspan of up to 7 feet. Life. Cranes are omnivores. They eat many kinds of plants, reptiles, small mammals, and other birds. The average life time of a crane is from 20 to 25 years. Cranes are highly social birds that live in large flocks. Some species of cranes are thought as holy in Asia, especially in Japan. Reproduction. Cranes usually build their nests in marshy areas and lay two eggs at a time. Cranes can make sounds that are heard from far away. Cranes dance special dances when they mate, and they include stepping quickly, high leaps, stretching, and bowing. Crane chicks grow very quickly and at two to four months,
Estimation is the approximation of a result that one can use with information that is not clear or is incomplete. It is like making an educated, reasonable guess based on the information given. If an estimate is more than the actual amount, then it is called an overestimate. If the estimate was less than the actual result, then it is called an underestimate. This is different from a prediction.
A fee is the price someone pays for services, especially the honorarium paid to a doctor, lawyer, consultant or member of a learned profession. Traditionally, a fee is different to a "payment", salary, or wage, because the fee usually is paid only once for the professional's services.
A maid, housemaid or, formerly, maidservant is a female employed as a domestic worker. Maids perform typical domestic chores such as cooking, ironing, washing, cleaning the house, grocery shopping, caring for pets, and taking care of children like a nanny. In many places in some poor countries, maids often take on the role of a nurse in taking care of the elderly and people with disabilities. Many maids are required by their employers to wear a uniform. In June 2011, International Labour Organization has made its Convention No.189 for domestic workers including maids.
Embroidery is the art of decorating fabric or other materials with designs stitched in strands of thread or yarn using a needle. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. Sewing machines can be used to create machine embroidery. Qualifications. City and Guilds qualification in Embroidery allows embroiderers to become recognized for their skill. This qualification also gives them the credibility to teach. For example, the notable textiles artist, Kathleen Laurel Sage, began her teaching career by getting the City and Guilds Embroidery 1 and 2 qualifications. She has now gone on to write a book on the subject.
Eccentricity or extravagance is a word used to describe unusual behaviour in a person. People who have habits which many people think are very strange may be called eccentric. Eccentric behaviour is not necessarily good or bad in itself. Some clever people (geniuses) have behaviour which might be described as eccentric. It is not always clear whether behaviour is just eccentric or whether it is madness.  Famous people who were eccentric in their different ways include Albert Einstein, Nero, Alan Turing, Howard Hughes, Ludwig II of Bavaria and Lord Berners.
A conversation is two or more people talking about something. It is spontaneous, usually unplanned, though the people may have interests in common.  Conversations are one of the basic types of human communication. They can be about any subject, and do not necessarily have any fixed purpose. They allow people with different views of a topic to learn from each other. A conversation may be contrasted with formal presentations. A talk or speech, for example is an oral presentation by one person directed at a group. It is basically a one-way communication. Conversations do not have to happen in person, they can happen over the telephone or on the Internet. Banter. Banter is short witty sentences that bounce back and forth between individuals. Often banter uses clever put-downs and witty insults. It can contain misunderstandings (often intentional), zippy wisecracks, zingers, flirtation, and puns. The idea is each line of banter should "top" the one before it. It is a verbal war of wit without any physical contact.
Wit is a form of intellectual humour. A wit is someone skilled in making witty remarks. A witty remark is a smart observation, put with humor and said in the perfect moment. Forms of wit include: the quip and the repartee. Witty remarks may be intentionally cruel, and may be more ingenious than funny.  A quip is an observation or saying that has some wit but perhaps descends into sarcasm, or otherwise is short of point; a witticism also suggests the diminutive. Repartee is the wit of the quick answer. (Wilde: "I wish I'd said that." Whistler: "You will, Oscar, you will".)
The 2004 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 2004. It lasted until November 30. These dates usually mark the beginning an the end of the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. However, the 2004 season went past these actual limits slightly. For example, Tropical Storm Otto formed on the last day of the season and lasted two days into December. The season was above average in activity. It had fifteen named storms and one of the highest Accumulated Cyclone Energy totals ever recorded. The most season included storms called: Hurricane Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne. Storms. Hurricane Alex. Hurricane Alex formed on July 31 off the coast of South Carolina. Alex quickly strengthened into a category 2. On August 3, Hurricane Alex came within 10 miles of North Carolina. Hurricane Alex turned northeast and dissipated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Because Hurricane Alex did not make landfall it only caused $2.4 million in damage and only 1 person was killed as a result of the hurricane. Tropical Storm Bonnie. Bonnie started as Tropical Depression Two while east of Barbados. Tropical Depression Two crossed the Windward Islands and died out shortly after. It became Tropical Depression Two again while it was south of Cuba. Tropical Storm Bonnie made landfall in the Florida Panhandle. Bonnie died out again after that. Bonnie left only about $1 million in damage and 4 deaths.  For the official forecasts, see: Hurricane Charley. Hurricane Charley was a strong hurricane that strengthened very fast. Charley also made landfall further south then he was supposed to. Charley left $16.5 billion in damage and 35 deaths. The damage caused by Charley made it the second costliest storm in U.S. history, only to Hurricane Andrew. This beaten by four other storms within 4 years, it was beaten by Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Wilma, then Hurricane Ike. That makes Charley the fifth costliest storm in U.S. history.  For the official forecasts, see the NHC's archive on Hurricane Charley. Hurricane Danielle. Danielle was a category 2 hurricane of 200
Trustworthiness or honesty is mainly a moral value. A trustworthy person is someone in whom we can place our trust and be sure that the trust will not be betrayed. Examples could be  The first example is moral. It depends on what we know about the person, their family and upbringing. The second example is technical. We would need to know what kind of jobs the person had done before and, perhaps, what kind of training he had. In order for one to trust another,their worth and integrity must be proven over time. That applies especially to the first (moral) case. Trustworthiness in technical matters may be identified by attributes such as reliability, dependability and qualifications.