RECENTLY I was bemused to read in the Evening Times that McDonald's in Argyle Street, Glasgow had introduced classical music to their exceptionally busy restaurant.

 

Yes, you read it correctly. Classical music! In McDonalds!

Apparently, the fast food outlet in Trongate, which is the busiest in Scotland, was optimistically hoping a bite of Beethoven, a swig of Stravinsky or a mouthful of Mozart while munching on a Big Mac, would have a calming effect on some of the anti-social behaviour found inside and outside the restaurant.

After reading a bit more I learned that listening to classical music can also lower blood pressure and even help you to sleep better.

It can also assist with weight loss, chill out students during exam times and ease the pain of childbirth.

Apparently, it can also help prevent heart disease, although that bit seemed a little bit ironic given that it was being played in a fast food outlet.

Now I don't know about you, but if classical music was the answer to rowdiness, stress and insomnia, why isn't it played at football matches, the workplace, prisons or any of the many places in need of a bit of serenity.

Talking about calming sounds to get you to sleep, a friend of mine was proud to show off her new baby boy the other week and it was obvious he was tetchy and needed a sleep.

But failing miserably rocking him back and forth, she reached into her jacket pocket and took out her mobile phone.

I naturally assumed that she was about to call her mum for some much needed baby advice.

But instead, she tapped the screen on her phone a few times before laying the phone in the buggie next to the crying baby.

"What's that for?" I was eager to know what the strange sound was.

"Shhhhh," she informed me, "it's to help the baby sleep."

I still wasn't quite sure where she was coming from.

"Is it classical music you have on your phone to help the baby to sleep?" I asked.

"Shhhhhh. No. It's white noise."

"White noise?" I whispered.

I assumed White Noise must be a new boy band she was talking about before the mum went on to explain: "I have a new phone App which plays white noise."

She could see the still vacant expression on my face.

"You can download lots of different sounds, like the sound of air conditioning, an oscillating fan, the shower running, the hair dryer blowing or the vacuum cleaner.

"There's a huge list to choose from."

And sure enough, within five minutes, the crying baby had been nursed to sleep by the sound of a vacuum cleaner.

So, incidentally, had the baby's granddad who was sitting on the couch behind him.

Anyway, needing to de-stress myself, I thought I would try out this classical music malarkey, so I downloaded a CD called '50 Classical Chillout Sounds' on to my iPod.

It had had great reviews and I reckoned it might be just the thing to help me unwind after a stressful day in the office.

Anything is worth a try and the CD was only £5.

So, after work, I boarded the packed train home to Airdrie from Glasgow Queen Street Station and was glad to get a seat and make myself comfortable.

After the ticket collector had done his rounds, I settled down and got out my iPod and began listening to some beautiful classical music.

According to the screen I was listening to a Vivaldi violin concerto, some Bach instrumentals and then a Beethoven piano concerto.

And, to my surprise and delight, I was really starting to relax.

However, the last thing I remember reading on my iPod screen was Swan Lake Act 2, performed by the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra.

Mmmmm it was wonderful.

I had to agree with the calming theory of classical music because I was relaxed, very relaxed.

Indeed so relaxed that I ended up in Bathgate, five stops after my own.

I had fallen into a very deep sleep and it was only when the train jerked violently that I woke up bewildered, dazed and hacked off that I'd missed my stop.

So yes, classical music can have a calming effect.

But just remember that you either need to listen to it in McDonalds or at home with your feet up, otherwise who knows where you could end up.