Advent

As we look toward Christmas Eve and the beginning of the Twelve Days of Christmas leading to Epiphany, may I suggest, once again, this beloved short masterpiece, Amahl and the Night Visitors. I can think of no musical work more perfectly crafted, more lovely, or … Read more

This post appeared a few years ago in our Advent Calendar. I have been lecturing on a Rhine tour and have now just arrived in Weimar. I am flooded with memories of the many Christmases my family spent here (but sadly not this year). So, … Read more

Surprising us as it does every year, the eve of Christmas has arrived. In churches that follow the liturgical cycle, texts for today’s morning services still belong to the Advent cycle. But thereafter, someone from the altar guild will arrive, the violet cloths will be … Read more

‘Tis the season of Angels. They can be spotted midflight on Christmas cards, wrapping paper, and tree ornaments. In the marketplace, though, angels broke out of Christmas mode some time ago. Images of angels adorn almost anything these days, from jewelry and mugs to wallets … Read more

There is a lot of sparkle around these days. Glitter-edged teddy bears, sparkly gel pens, sweaters with sequined appliqué, and let’s not forget those “fairy threads” women can weave into their hair. How did we come to be so steeped in sparkles? Looking back on … Read more

The coming of Christmas brings out a desire for a specific sound more rightly associated with summer: the pastoral music of shepherds. The word “pastoral” goes back to the Latin verb pascere (to lead to pasture, set to grazing, or cause to eat). From pascere … Read more

On our minds is the subject of fathers, since tradition calls for the father of the family to light the fourth candle in the Advent wreath. So let us concentrate on the marvelous role model of fatherhood in the person of Joseph, the husband of … Read more

Have you ever done it? Looked up high at the spire of a cathedral and exclaimed, “Let’s climb to the top!” Up you go, dragging your feet over the endless stone steps, clinging to a centuries’ old railing, glancing down from dizzying heights, and gazing … Read more

What do Sugar Plums have to do with plums? The answer is: not as much as you might think, although modern recipes do include the plums used for prunes as an ingredient. I personally was relieved to learn that the “visions of sugar plums dancing … Read more