About the Name

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us, just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent The-oph’ilus, that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed. -- Luke 1:1-4

Relax, I know I’m not writing the New Testament here, but I will try to follow a few things closely. — Dick Sandlin

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Creativity

is finding an unusual way to do something useful. Art is useful because it fills an innate need in all of us.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Wagner’s Pilgrims’ Chorus from Tannhäuser

The full name of this piece is “Beglückt darf nun dich, o Heimat, ich schauen”, which means something like,“Fortunate am I, oh my homeland, now to behold thee again” in English.  My friend, A. S. Haley (The Anglican Curmudgeon), wrote

The pilgrims are returning from their pilgrimage to Rome, and they are expressing their gratitude at being safely back in their own country again. Tannhäuser, however (who is not among them, but comes later), is “beglückt” only in a completely different sense from what he imagines. His great love, Elisabeth, on failing to see him among the pilgrims returning from Rome, concludes that he has not obtained forgiveness there, and perishes on the spot, thereby (with her purity) earning him the redemption that he sought. (Well, it is Wagner, after all.)

You can find out more about the opera in Wikipedia.  Heinrich Tannhäuser is a young singer who breaks the spell of Venus with the words, “My salvation rests in Mary, the mother of God.” Don’t miss the “Alleluias” near the end. Tannhäuser was written 100 years before I was born.

The building in the video somehow reminds me of where things seem to be headed in the Episcopal Church. I can imagine a choir of angels looking down on what’s happened.  (A friend tells me the building is actually the old Detroit train depot, but doesn’t it look like a huge church?)

NOTE:  Use the button under the “You” in “YouTube” to get the full-screen view.  It is awesome.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Bethlehemian Rapsody

A little good-natured theft from Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody adapted to David and Goliath:

Although it is very funny, I think that it has a terrific message as well. My thanks to the apologetix and WT Wesley Foundation for producing this and to John Samson for posting it on YouTube. And not at all least to Freddie Mercury and Queen for the original. Freddie (born Farrokh Bulsara, in Zanzibar of Persian parents) died of AIDS in 1991.  May he rest in Peace.

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Mozart’s Benedictus

This is a little over four and a half minutes of serious beauty that will calm you and set you free.  The video leads you by the hand so that you can follow all the harmonies and read the Latin lyrics (if you want to).

The Women’s Chorus of Dallas, of which my daughter, Jen, is a member will be singing Mozart’s Requium in the Mort (the Morton Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas) on October 19th and we are hoping that she might get a part in this piece.  It would be perfect for her.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Creativity Post Opens Thread

Creativity is a category that is open to creative, artistic, beautiful subjects.  Click on the play buttons below to see and hear things and then scroll down to the bottom of the post and leave a comment.

Wesley sings “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash
This is about as creative, artistic, and beautiful as it comes.  Trust me.

This young lady reminds me a lot of my daughter, Jen, when she was that age.  Emma wrote this in January after a storm dumped a foot of snow in Seattle and canceled school.  Rob Hampton is lead guitar on this piece.  Also by Emma: Fun and Leppie Went a Courtin’.

United Breaks Guitars, by Dave Carroll, is another great song from the same site.  All three of these songs come from A Guitar Teacher’s Lesson Notebook, the blog of a very talented musician and guitar instructor named Rob Hampton, who lives in the Seattle area.  Rob’s comment on this one is, “Hey, at least it wasn’t a Martin.”  You owe it to yourself to check out his site.

Rob credits his link to “United Breaks Guitars” to Farida, a musical storyteller also from the Seattle area.