It’s going live! Let me invite you to our newest classroom entitled The Rudiments of Music Theory, now part of our Circle of Scholars. That means all of you who are members will have immediate access for everyone in your family to take a journey … Read more
Wade in the Water The a cappella vocal ensemble “Sweet Honey in the Rock” was formed in 1973. The name comes from Psalm 81:16: “and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.” Initially comprised of four singers, the group expanded to … Read more
The whirlwind starts Friday when I fly off for my first tour of the fall. On Sunday evening in Warsaw, I will meet the twenty-one people who chose this Smithsonian Journey’s tour with its innocuous name “Old World Europe.” The next morning we’ll launch into … Read more
Schoenberg, Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) This is Andrew Pudewa‘s challenge. Professor Carol and I were having dinner with Andrew recently when the subject of Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) came up. Now, not everybody is a fan of Schoenberg. Those of us in classical education who have a … Read more
After taking up the cause of the subjunctive last week (thanks to all who wrote to add your hoorahs!), I promised a focus on art in my upcoming posts. You may be surprised by today’s starting point. Summer foliage is about to yield to … Read more
Ed: Lucy Wyndam often sends comments about our Weekly Digest. Today, we welcome her guest post and look forward to more. Do names such as Vincent Van Gogh, Grandma Moses, or Claude Monet ring a bell? Besides being world famous artists, they also have another … Read more
Beethoven, Egmont Overture, Op. 84 Lamoral, Count of Egmont (1522-1568) became a martyr in the fight for independence in the Spanish Netherlands. During the Great Iconoclasm, he had favored restraint in dealing with the Calvinists. The Duke of Alba was sent from Spain to put … Read more
I just had a chance to tour the new, luxuriously equipped William Fleming High School in Roanoke, Virginia that replaced “my” Fleming High, knocked down about a decade ago. I was dazzled by the school’s professional-level sports facilities, top-notch art studios, and techno-driven classrooms. But … Read more
Chopin, Polonaise in A-Flat, op. 53 The Polonaise is a stately processional dance used in various ceremonial occasions, but particularly in weddings. It has its roots in Polish folk music with melodies consisting of short phrases typically cast in triple meter. In its earliest forms … Read more
The horn call announcing Til’s antics resounds in our kitchen as the grandkids dance about the sun porch listening to a recording I just purchased from Maestro Classics. This one presents Richard Strauss’s 1895 tone poem Til Eulenspiegel, a brilliant cinematic composition that portrays the … Read more