Once again this year, several people have asked me if O Come, O Come Emmanuel would be a topic in the remaining days of the Advent Calendar. For many, this song stands apart as one of the most deeply moving of all carols. It’s certainly not … Read more
The first Sunday in Advent Lighting the first purple candle of the Advent wreath marks the beginning of the season, whether within a church service or in a home celebration. Use of an Advent wreath to signify the four Sundays preceding Christmas has been recorded since … Read more
Tomorrow marks the first Sunday in Advent and the official beginning of our 2016 Advent Calendar. We are delighted with the warm reception you have given this calendar over the past years. It has become an important tradition for us as well. Not that long … Read more
The Parting Glass, Irish Song (arr. Earley) A simple song well sung. Simplicity is a virtue in music too often forgotten. We have a tendency to celebrate complexity and bigness for their own sake. Just look at the Super Bowl Halftime Show each year where … Read more
Survival, not entertainment, once dictated what a child was taught. Sounds old-fashioned, doesn’t it? But the sentence resonates in our lives right now. Our three-year old granddaughter Patti has discovered the CD player! Yep, an old-fashioned, lightweight, metallic boom box that also sports a cassette … Read more
Mahler, Symphony No. 1 We are being rather ambitious today, featuring a Mahler symphony. But the Mistral Chamber Orchestra is more ambitious by performing the Mahler Symphony No. 1 with a small ensemble and no conductor. It’s not what you would normally expect with a … Read more
The season of preparations is upon us. Kitchens, craft tables, and party stores are bursting with action. Two recent and quite separate events have caused me to reflect even more on the drama of preparation. This past Saturday, a massive Tannenbaum was hoisted into the … Read more
Pierre de la Rue: Plorer, gemir, crier Pierre de la Rue (c. 1452-1518) was a Franco-Flemish composer remembered primarily for his sacred music. Plorer, gemir, crier is a lamentation that takes part of its text from the Requiem Mass and combines it with a French text. … Read more
Last week we posted our 101st “Friday Performance Pick.” Hank writes the bulk of these and spends a goodly amount of time seeking engaging performances to illustrate each entry. We often hear just how much people look forward to receiving these posts every week, using … Read more
Ravel, La valse We associate the waltz with late 19th-century Vienna and particularly with the many waltzes of Johann Strauss. It was a time of opulence and stability, or so it seemed. But as Professor Carol likes to explain (in Discovering Music and elsewhere) with … Read more